Carnivorus Plantae Mobilis
by Roeskva
Summary: Sam has not yet come to terms with Martouf/Lantash having died, when she must go on a mission that reminds her of what she has lost. She soon learns she has been lied to, and her loved ones might not be as dead as she thought. Sam/Martouf/Lantash.
1. Pain, Sorrow, and Joy

**Title:** Carnivorus Plantae Mobilis  
><strong>Author(s): <strong> **roeskva**  
><strong>Fandom(s):<strong> Stargate SG-1  
><strong>Categories:<strong> Adventure, Drama, Romance  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Samantha Carter & Martouf/Lantash  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 53k  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Beta: <strong> **skarpedin** and **pagan twylight**  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Sam had not yet come to terms with Martouf/Lantash having died - and having to admit to herself she loved them - when she has to go on a dangerous mission that will remind her of what she has lost. How will she react when she learns she has been lied to - and that Martouf/Lantash may not be as dead as she thought? Will she even get a chance to come to terms with it all - or will she be killed by a lifeform she would have refused to believe even existed? Story goes AU from Summit/Last Stand.  
><strong>Author's notes:<strong> Spoilers: Summit, Last Stand, 48 Hours, Fail Safe, The Tok'ra I&II, In the Line of Duty, Crossroads, Dead Man's Switch, various other small spoilers for Tok'ra episodes. Some dialogue lifted from Fail Safe.  
>* denotes thoughts or hostsymbiote communication.  
>In my story the Jaffa cannot sense symbiotes (as in the 1st season of SG-1). It never made sense to me that they could in later episodes, since they do not have naquadah in their blood and do not communicate with their symbiotes.<br>Written for Het Big Bang 2011 on LiveJournal.

**This version has been cut/rewritten to achieve a PG-13 rating. The story will also be posted on Symbiotica: http : / / tokra . fandomnet . com / viewstory . php ? sid = 140 (remove the spaces), in the original NC-17 version. Note that only some of the chapters differ between these versions.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Pain, Sorrow, and Joy.<strong>

* * *

><p>"My Lord, I regret to report the majority of the Tok'ra scum were either buried under the rubble of their tunnels, or expired too long ago for the sarcophagus to be effective. The same applies to those of their Tau'ri allies that were there. We brought back those that we believed could be revived successfully," the Jaffa leader told Zipacna, nervously.<p>

"Then we must hope those few have valuable information... for _your_ sake!" Zipacna threatened.

He was still angry that he had not been able to take more of the Tok'ra - and Tau'ri - alive. Torturing a few of them - whether they had useful knowledge or not - might have partially made up for this shameful result. A large amount of his Jaffa had died - fallen to some despicable poison developed by the heretics.

"Bring me the first of the vermin as soon as they are revived."

"Yes, my Lord." The Jaffa bowed.

* * *

><p>"What is your name, Tok'ra?" Zipacna demanded. "Why do you wear a <em>Tau'ri<em> uniform? Do you subjugate yourself to them completely now? Serve them as their minions?"

*It would be better if I took control, to answer him...and to better protect you..._later..._*

The young man hesitated, still not comfortable with another being in his head - and more acutely aware of it now when both he and the symbiote were alive and well. The symbiote was no longer focusing all his strength on healing his host, and so his presence was obvious in the young man's mind.

*I...understand.* He swallowed, well aware of the torture that awaited them. *Take control.*

The symbiote did, and looked up at Zipacna, flashing his eyes.

"I am Lantash of the Tok'ra. My host is Lieutenant Kevin Elliot of the Tau'ri." He looked at the Goa'uld with a defiant expression. "I will not betray my people or his."

"I see." Zipacna made a sign at the Jaffa standing nearby with a painstick, who stepped closer. "I am sure I can convince you otherwise. What was that poison you released? We found traces of it in the vial on your body, so do not deny it!" He motioned at the Jaffa who jammed the painstick into Lantash's side. "It _will_ be enough for my scientists to synthesize it, so it will make little difference - except I save a little time and you a _lot_ of pain!"

Lantash gasped, but managed not to cry out, blocking the pain from his host.

"_Tell me!_" Zipacna snarled, as the Jaffa brought the painstick into contact with Lantash's neck, turning it on for what seemed like an eternity, to the Tok'ra. "What plans do you and the Tau'ri have for your pathetic war against the System Lords?"

* * *

><p>Elliott sat in the corner of his cell, having recently been returned there after being revived - again - in the sarcophagus. He was in control, as he was most of the time, except when Zipacna was torturing them. He still had problems handling another controlling his body. He looked morosely around him. The room was fairly large, but sparsely furnished. Aside from the bench he was sitting on, the only furniture was a similar one along the other wall. On the floor, in the opposite corner, lay a small pile of blankets - all the comfort that was provided. Well, they would likely not live long enough to consider <em>that<em> a problem.

He noticed his symbiote had withdrawn to his own sorrowful thoughts.

*You miss him,* he told Lantash.

*Yes. I always miss my...my former hosts. It does not change the fact that _you_ are my beloved host and that I will do _anything_ to save you. I am very sorry we are now prisoners of the Goa'uld.*

*Don't blame yourself. I chose to fight the Goa'uld - and we both agreed to take the symbiote poison to the gate, to kill the Jaffa and let SG-1 escape. I doubt anyone would have made it away, if we hadn't done what we did.*

*I know...* He thought about _Samantha_. *I hope they succeeded. I had not expected the Goa'uld would arrive so closely after we had died - and resurrect us in a sarcophagus in order to torture us.*

*Do you think Zipacna has a sample of the poison?*

*He may...if that is the case, we _must_ somehow inform the Tok'ra - or destroy the sample ourselves. I have no idea how to accomplish this.*

They were quiet for a while, while Lantash continued thinking dark thoughts, though their direction changed.

*You're angry at..._Ren'al_?* Elliot noted.

*_Yes_! She removed me from Martouf against my wish. I fought her, but I was too weak and she caused harm to both Martouf and myself when she removed me. Eventually, I gave up. I would _never_ have left him, not when there was a chance I could heal us both...and there _was_. She only removed me so she could examine Martouf and learn about the zatarc programming. I know Samantha suspected the same - I heard them talk. If Ren'al had not died when the tunnels collapsed, I would...* He calmed himself with difficulty. *It does not matter. Soon we will also be dead. I am sorry I have failed you.*

*This is not your _fault_!*

*If I had been stronger, I could perhaps have healed you. Perhaps we could all have escaped. Somehow...*

*Lantash..._stop it_! I agreed to be your host.*

*But you would want me to leave when and if it became possible,* Lantash observed, having again sensed this from his host. *I give you my word I will do so, if it _ever_ becomes possible.*

*I'm not sorry I'm your host and I'm glad I'm not alone here right now. I _am_ happy to have gotten to know you. Don't ever think otherwise! It's just...I miss Earth and my friends...and it _is_ a little strange to have someone in your head, talking. Well, more than a little strange...* He smiled wryly.

*We have not fully blended - there was no time before. We will not do so now, it will make it much easier on you when I leave you. At least the cursed sarcophagus has healed my body and yours - we _should_ both survive me leaving you.*

* * *

><p>They woke up when the door to their cell was opened. Looking up, they saw a group of Jaffa arriving, two of them dragging an unconscious man between them. They stepped into the cell and threw him in the corner, one of the other Jaffa training his staff weapon on Elliot, daring him to try anything.<p>

The man fell, still unconscious and face down, his fall mitigated slightly by the blankets lying on the floor there.

*I wonder who that poor soul is?* Elliot wondered.

*We should see if we can help him in any way,* Lantash suggested.

*Yes, of course.* Elliot got up. *Lantash...if you can heal him...if he agrees...*

*I will ask him, but you should not hope too much. It is rare for people to agree to become a host.*

*He is wounded. Dying, perhaps.*

*Even so, it is still a rare individual who agrees,* Lantash sighed. *I shall ask. _If_ he becomes conscious. I need his permission - I will not take him against his wishes.*

They were almost beside the man when Elliot stopped, prompted by Lantash.

*It is very faint...but I am certain...he has a small amount of naquadah in his blood...*

*He was a host?*

*Yes, I believe so. His upper body is naked, but his pants are similar to those the Tok'ra wear. Very strange...*

*Did you have any former hosts on your base?*

*No, they are very rare. Samantha was certainly the only one there during the attack, and this one is a male,* he suddenly urged Elliot on, getting a suspicion he dared not even hope for.

Elliot moved the blanket aside, from where it was covering the man's head and shoulders. There was no entry scar - not surprising, as Lantash recognized the man. Elliot gently turned him over, confirming it.

*Martouf!* Lantash felt his heart ache for him. His host - _former_ host - had been tortured. He needed him, needed his symbiote.

*How badly wounded is he? Can we wake him?*

*It is bad, but nothing I cannot repair. Zipacna must have had him healed and resurrected in a sarcophagus before they tortured him.*

*Where did they _get_ him? I thought he was dead?*

*So did I. Ren'al must have put him back in stasis after examining him. Probably reasoning she might learn more from his body later, despite having been told she had done enough examinations of his brain.*

*How could the sarcophagus bring him back?*

*He must not have been out of the stasis chamber for long - perhaps Ren'al and her team even kept his body functioning with some sort of machines, while they examined him. They may have had reasons to do so - may have needed him as well..._preserved_ as possible. I do not know. He obviously cannot have been dead for too long a period of time - the sarcophagus can only bring back people who have been dead less than 5-6 hours - maybe a little more, but it is not certain after that.*

*Do you think he is himself? I mean, would he have brain damage from Ren'al messing around with him and the zatarc-stuff and all?*

*There is no way to know.* Lantash felt a deep ache for his former host, combined with fury over what had been done to him. To both of them. *Perhaps. I hope not. There is no way to know until he wakes up. It's obvious they tortured him for information, though, so I would assume any brain damage cannot be too pronounced.*

*I hope he's okay - and agrees to become your host. No offense - but I think I'd like to just be _me_ again. Even here.*

Lantash sighed. *It may not stop Zipacna from torturing you, and I feel responsible for both of you. However, if you are certain that is your wish, we do not have to wait. I can change hosts immediately.*

*I thought you needed to know he is willing?*

*Normally, yes, but I do not need to ask Martouf. He has already given his consent once, and he does not need to do so again. I _know_ he would be happy to be my host again. We're very close friends. Closer than friends. He would _never_ say no.*

*Okay, lets do this, then.*

*There is one more thing. You must understand, that even though I am completely healed and in perfect condition, there is always a significant danger of death when attempting something like this, perhaps to all three of us, depending on how badly injured Martouf is. Leaving a host and keeping him or her alive is..._difficult_. I want to be certain you know this before you make your choice.*

*You can die?* Elliot sounded surprised.

"Yes, but that is a risk I am willing to take. However, I cannot make this choice for you. The worst that could happen is that I do not manage to free myself completely without damage, since I would have to be careful not to injure you. I could even die within you, and there would then be a risk I would not be strong enough to prevent you from dying as well. However, as I am currently in perfect health, I do not believe that will happen."

Elliot thought about it for a moment. *Okay, if you're willing to risk it, then so am I.*

*I will disconnect from you very carefully, of course, waiting until the last moment to sever connections needed to supply myself with oxygen, and such, of course. Also, I will give your body instructions to begin healing at an accelerated pace, as soon as I leave you. It will work for some minutes, maybe more. Enough to almost completely heal the remaining damage from me disconnecting and leaving. I will block the pain while I disconnect, of course.*

Elliot kneeled beside Martouf. *What do I do?* He felt Lantash begin to disconnect. It felt strange, but it did not hurt. _Yet_, anyway.

*As I said, you will heal quickly, but there _will_ be some pain for a little while. I'm afraid I cannot help that.*

*I understand. It's okay.*

*In a moment I will have disconnected completely, and then we cannot communicate. When that happens, turn Martouf a little on his side and hold his mouth open. Try to hold him so his tongue is more or less out of the way, then lean in as if to kiss him and open your mouth. I will handle the rest. Observe that there will be a short, sharp pain at the moment when I leave you.*

Elliot nodded, doing as he was told. He felt the connection to Lantash disappear completely, and all of a sudden he felt very alone, almost regretting his choice. He felt a tearing pain in the back of his throat, just as he opened his mouth above Martouf's. Then something long and slippery slid over his lips and into Martouf's mouth. It only took a moment, and as he pulled back, he saw the last of a long body disappear into the other man. Moments later, Martouf's eyes flashed yellow-white.

"L...Lantash," he got out, coughing a little. It made his throat hurt more. "Did you make it all right?"

"Shhh...do not speak. You need to heal. Sit back and relax - and let us hope the Goa'uld does not come back soon. I freed myself without injury, so do not concern yourself over me. Right now I need to focus on healing Martouf. He is still unconscious, and I prefer he stay that way until I can repair some of the damage causing him pain."

"Can you tell if he's okay?" Elliot whispered.

Lantash gave him a reprimanding look, not liking that he caused himself pain by speaking. He still felt protective over his - newest - former host. "I do not detect any signs of brain-damage, except perhaps for a small amount of missing memories, which was to be expected. The sarcophagus must have been able to heal it all."

Elliot sat down to relax and let his injuries heal, while Lantash focused on healing Martouf. They were quiet for a long time, but fortunately Zipacna did not seem to want to interrogate them right now. Probably he was focused on something else.

* * *

><p>Martouf slowly awoke, trying to remember where he was and what had happened. It did not take him long to remember he was a prisoner of the Goa'uld, and that he had been tortured for information. He also remembered waking up in a sarcophagus before that, but not how he had come to be captured, nor how he had died. He did not think it had been from torture that time?<p>

Actually, he remembered very little that had happened since...he tried to focus. Tried to remember... he remembered being told Anise had tested some sort of alien technology - armbands of some kind - on SG-1. He had been angry at her for endangering them. What else? His memory of the time after that was fragmented. He could remember leaving for a short mission to...to Tenshawna? Then, vague memories of the SGC, but nothing else.

His mind cleared and while he could still not remember any events after Tenshawna, he suddenly clearly remembered the first thing he had realised after waking up in the sarcophagus. He was _alone_. Lantash was _gone_! He again felt the cold fear and then deep grief return. What had happened to his symbiote? His closest friend...his _soulmate_? He had never felt so desolate before, and he did not even want to live anymore. Not without Lantash. He no longer cared what happened to him. Did not even care about the torture, the physical pain barely registering, compared to the emotional - something which had _infuriated_ Zipacna.

Not getting any answers, or even a satisfying reaction from his prisoner, the Goa'uld had eventually given up, and ordered the man sent to a cell. If he lived, he might be more entertaining later.

Suddenly, Martouf realised he felt a..._presence_ in his mind. Lantash? For a moment he felt joy. Was it nothing more than an hallucination that had made him think his friend gone? That _would_ explain why he felt almost fully healed, something which had confused him earlier.

Or...the fear returned...was he now host to a Goa'uld? Would the hated enemy use him to cause pain to the Tok'ra? The Tau'ri? He had much information that might endanger both.

He felt the presence become stronger, as the symbiote awoke from sleep. Likely resting after healing him.

*Lantash?* He asked, worried, though he believed..._hoped_ the presence felt familiar.

*Yes, Martouf. It's me.* He gave Martouf a warm hug. *I missed you.*

Martouf hugged him back. Happy. *So you were actually gone? It was not a horrible dream?*

*No, I am afraid it was not. I am back, though. There is much to explain. I believe we should blend again now you are awake. Synchronize our memories. It is the easiest way.*

*I agree.*

* * *

><p>*Samantha knows we love her?*<p>

*That _I_ love her, at any rate, though if she gives it any thought, she will know you do as well, as she knows we love as one.*

*She did not give you the answer you hoped for,* Martouf concluded. It was not a question.

*No. She did not. I believe some of it was shock. She may yet come to love us. I hope. Of course, that is only if we find a way to escape. Currently she believes we are both dead, and she may soon be proven correct, if we do not find a way out of here.*

*We have escaped worse. We will get out.* With Lantash back, Martouf suddenly felt optimistic.

*We will,* Lantash agreed, hoping it was the truth.

Martouf opened his eyes and slowly sat up, looking around the cell they were in.

*Should not your...former host, Lieutenant...Elliot, be here as well?*

*He should.* Lantash felt fear. *They must have come for him while I was healing you - or while we were blending.*

*Lantash...do not feel guilty. You cannot protect both of us, and Elliot did not want you to stay with him. I do. You did the right thing.*

*In my mind I know it is the truth...it is still hard, though...I feel responsibility for the both of you...*

*That is not all...*

*No, Zipacna may have a sample of the symbiote poison developed by a group of Tok'ra scientists. If he does, it is imperative the Tok'ra get that information...Zipacna may use it against them otherwise - and we have no way to warn them!*

* * *

><p>"My Lord...I hope it is not an inconvenient time for you." He threw the dead man on the floor a look.<p>

"Ah, Hurtak." Zipacna acknowledged the underling. "Not at all. This pathetic..._Tau'ri_ did not last long. Earlier I had a Tok'ra to play with - now the cursed heretic seems to have fled his host. No doubt choosing death to avoid facing me again! The Tok'ra are all cowards!" His expression changed to a friendlier one. "What news from Ares?"

"He will subjugate himself, and support your side, as long as he keeps his homeworld."

"Excellent." Zipacna smiled to himself. "A celebration is in order." He suddenly noticed the dead man on the floor and frowned. "Take _that_ and throw it away!"

"Yes, my Lord." Hurtak turned to the nearest Jaffa. "Take the corpse and..."

"Wait! Perhaps we are being premature. He is of the Tau'ri...one of their soldiers...a Lieutenant Elliot I believe he called himself. While the Tau'ri are of course no danger to myself, they are a constant irritant, much like their allies, the Tok'ra. This one might yet have useful knowledge which could bring about their downfall." Zipacna pondered it for a moment. "Yes, revive him, then return to Lord Ares and invite him for a celebration in three days." Zipacna rose and left the room.

Hurtak bowed to him, then turned to the nearest Jaffa.

"Have the Tau'ri revived, then return him to his cell."

"Yes my Lord." The Jaffa bowed and left to do as he was told.


	2. Escape and Rescue

Sam hurried into the gateroom, just as the wormhole established, called there by the public announcement system. It was the Tok'ra, so she hoped it would be her father who had come to visit.

She missed her father, and he was the only Tok'ra she felt like seeing right now. She had always felt a certain thrill when it was announced the visitors were Tok'ra. To some degree because the part of her that was Jolinar felt a connection, but she had to admit there was another reason as well. Martouf - and Lantash!

The fact that they were both now dead, meant that being reminded of the Tok'ra no longer held the same thrill for her. Instead, she felt a stab of grief. She missed him - and she would never see him again. Why had she not told him how she felt, while there was still time? She had not told Lantash either, even when he was dying. Why had she been such a chicken? Would it have hurt her if she had told him? It would have made him happy.

Sam suppressed the pain and put on her usual mask. She could do this! She focused on the Stargate, where someone was just now appearing.

"Dad!"

"Sam." Jacob smiled at her, a little bleakly. So they brought bad news. Sam glanced at the two other Tok'ra accompanying her father. She faintly recognized their faces, from Jolinar's memories, but their names escaped her right now.

The rest of SG-1 came into the gateroom, followed by General Hammond.

"Welcome, Jacob. What brings you here?"

"Intel from one of our agents."

"Let's go to my office, then."

* * *

><p>When they had all sat down, Jacob began to explain.<p>

"Jorra, our operative in Zipacna's domain managed to send a short report. He says Zipacna has got Lieutenant Elliot."

"Elliot?" Sam gasped. "But shouldn't the symbiote poison have killed him and Lantash?"

Jacob nodded. "Jorra believes some of Zipacna's Jaffa must have arrived late enough that the poison had dissipated, but early enough to revive Elliot - and Lantash, presumably, though apparently he is no longer in Elliot."

Sam looked down, unsure how to react. She had to admit she very much wanted Lantash to be alive again, though her emotions confused her. She thought back to when Elliot had told her Lantash loved her. She _had_ known he and Martouf felt _something_ for her, but love? And as much as for Jolinar? She had not known what to say - the presence of Elliot only made it more difficult.

If Lantash had survived and was rescued - how would she react if she met him again? How did she feel about him?

Then she suddenly realised what her father had said - Lantash was no longer in Elliot! She felt a pang of fear. Did that mean he was dead - or perhaps that he had a different host? Or could he have been placed in a tank or stasis jar? So many questions.

O'Neill turned to Hammond. "Permission to mount a rescue mission to get the Lieutenant back?"

"Just a moment, Colonel." Hammond looked at Jacob. "Can't Jorra free him?"

"No, Zipacna has put Jorra - in his guise as the minor Goa'uld 'Hurtak' - in charge of negotiations with Lord Ares - a minor System Lord. Jorra happened to see Lieutenant Elliot when he was back at Zipacna's court to report, but he was sent back shortly afterwards, so he didn't have the time or the opportunity to do anything."

"That means he also can't help our team get inside, I presume?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Well, that sucks!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Ain't that typical? The Tok'ra come running with their problems and expect _us_ to fix everything!"

Jacob bowed his head, giving Selmak control.

"Technically, this is as much your problem as ours - _more_ yours, actually, given that your Lieutenant Elliot appears to no longer be blended," she sounded a bit harsher than normal - partially from being reminded of the recent death of Lantash, who had been a good friend for many years, and partially from O'Neill's usual disrespectful, disdainful, and insulting attitude toward the Tok'ra, which she had a harder time ignoring than normal. "However, since we do not know if Lantash blended fully with Elliot before leaving him - or being removed from him, whatever happened - the Tok'ra have an interest in this as well. Elliot may have knowledge about Tok'ra - and Tau'ri - secrets."

O'Neill seemed to realise he had been unfair, and decided to change the direction of the discussion. "How do you suggest we do this, then? Do you have a plan?"

Selmak dipped her head and Jacob took over again.

"The beginnings of a plan, at least. Zipacna is currently preparing to celebrate the 'alliance' he has made with Ares - which to be honest is closer to Ares becoming his vassal. He'll want to make the most of it and have a huge celebration to show off his power and greatness or whatever. He's invited several major and minor allies, whom will each bring a retinue. One of Zipacna's minor allies is in reality a Tok'ra - Zarin. I will pretend to be _her_ underling - and you will be part of our entourage, though since you've met Zipacna before, we can't risk him seeing you. That shouldn't be a problem - he is the most powerful Goa'uld of this group, and there would be no reason for him to even come across the human slaves of any of his vassals. In any case, that should get us into Zipacna's palace, and hopefully we will find an opportunity to rescue Lieutenant Elliot."

"If he's still _alive_ by then - when will this be?"

"We're leaving immediately - as soon as you can be ready."

"Dad - do we know what's happened to Lantash?" Sam suddenly asked, worried.

He shook his head. "No, Jorra didn't know."

* * *

><p>"How long are we going to just <em>sit<em> here!" O'Neill complained, never happy with just having to wait, unable to _do_ something.

"Well, we can't very well just take a stroll in the palace!" Daniel pointed out.

"That would be..._unwise_," Teal'c added.

Sam sat on a bed over in the corner of the room they had been assigned, thinking about all that had happened recently. She very much hoped Lantash was still alive.

They were reasonably safe here - no one except Zarin and her retinue would normally enter, as going into the rooms occupied by another Goa'uld and their servants would be an insult.

Suddenly, the Tok'ra communicator she had hidden under her clothing, activated. She made a small jump, having been far away in thought, then quickly retrieved the communicator.

"Sam here. Come in."

"This is Selmak. I have made some discreet inquiries, and Zipacna does indeed have Lieutenant Elliot. We cannot easily get to the holding cells, however, if we could make a diversion - or perhaps cut the power to the cell block - he may be able to get out, if he is not in too bad a shape from torture - Zipacna apparently 'questioned' him briefly this morning."

"I may have an idea about that. I've been thinking about it, and this place looks very familiar. I've realised why - Jolinar was once undercover at Zipacna's court, wasn't she?"

"Yes - she pretended to be one of Zipacna's underlings for a very long time. Centuries, actually. While she was his underlord, and in charge of a small group of star systems, she would have been to his palace relatively often."

"Unless he's changed the layout, I believe I can locate the room with the power controls. If so, I can cut the power to the cell block. Both are in the western wing of the palace, I believe. How many guards are there?"

"Very few, they have either been given the day off, or are guarding the Goa'uld celebrating in the central part of the palace, on the second floor. You are correct about the location of the holding cells and the power control room."

"Okay. We'll call you later."

"Samantha...your father wishes me to remind you to be careful."

"I will. Sam, out."

* * *

><p>Selmak had returned to the party, having to keep up appearances and pretend to enjoy the food and drink. Meanwhile, Sam, Daniel, and O'Neill had snuck out of the room they were hiding in, and gotten to the western part of the palace without being discovered.<p>

Dressed up as human servants to one of Zipacna's underlings meant they could walk around in most of the palace without being suspected, as long as they did not risk being seen by Zipacna himself. Teal'c was somewhat more of a problem; not only did Goa'uld's human servants rarely wear any kind of headgear inside, but there might easily be some Jaffa present who would recognize Apophis's former First Prime - the shol'va. This meant Teal'c had to stay in Zarin's chambers.

The corridor to the power control room was empty, but the room itself was not. O'Neill quickly jumped back after having popped his head inside.

"Three Jaffa guards and some kind of technician!" He told the others. "One of the guards saw me!"

That was a superfluous piece of information, as shouts were coming from the room and moments later two angry guards came running out, their staff weapons at the ready.

O'Neill had joined Sam and Daniel behind the only available cover - a large statue of Zipacna which stood in a small niche in the corridor, a flame burning in a brazier beside it.

"Slaves! Come here and explain yourself! You are _not_ permitted to be in this area!" One of the Jaffa ordered them.

O'Neill answered with a shot from the zat'nik'tel he had kept hidden under his clothing, and Sam followed up with a shot of her own. Both Jaffa were hit, and O'Neill and Sam stepped out in the corridor, shooting them one more time and killing them. It was unfortunately necessary, as there was no place to lock them up.

The third Jaffa peeked out of the power control room, trying to see what had happened to his comrades without risking his life. A zat'nik'tel shot dissipated harmlessly against the wall beside him, and he quickly pulled his head back inside.

Sam ran to the door, while O'Neill and Daniel provided backup, now and then firing off a shot to keep the Jaffa from looking out. Sam reached the door and looked inside, spotting the Jaffa and the technician inside. Both were armed - the technician with a hand device so he was a Goa'uld. He fired a blast in Sam's direction, and she quickly jumped back into the safety of the corridor.

"Carter - catch this!" O'Neill threw her the Goa'uld stun grenade Selmak had provided them with. She caught it and activated it, throwing it inside the room and hurrying to a safe distance.

The grenade detonated and moments later they could safely enter the room, after having vaporized the Jaffa in the corridor. O'Neill quickly did the same with the Jaffa inside the control room, while Sam took care of the Goa'uld, having first relieved him of his hand device, which might be useful later.

"Okay, what now? I assume you know what to do, Carter?" O'Neill said.

"Ah...not quite..." She looked around the place. "Give me a moment."

* * *

><p>Suddenly the light went out and a sound as if of something unlocking was heard.<p>

"What was that?" Elliot wondered, sitting up more straight. He blinked a few times in the darkness, but it changed nothing, of course.

"The power to this part of the complex must have gone out," Martouf answered in a low voice as he got up. "I believe the door to our cell has unlocked - we should attempt to escape while we have the chance...and please keep your voice down. I don't know how far away the guards are."

He started feeling along the walls to find the door, and soon reached it. He carefully pushed it, just a little, and it moved noiselessly.

"Is it open?" Elliot wondered, keeping his voice low.

"It is," Martouf confirmed. "Can you stand on your own?"

"Yes, don't worry." Elliot put a hand on the bench behind him and supported himself against it, as he tried to stand. He succeeded on his second attempt. "Damn Goa'uld! I'm sure he had me brought to him again just for the fun of it! It's not like he asked me anything new!" He stumbled towards the place he had heard Martouf's voice from.

Martouf opened the door more, and it made a squeaking sound. He immediately stopped moving it and tried if the opening was large enough for him to get out. It was, but only just. It was a good thing neither of them were fat.

"Careful when you get to the door - we can't open it much more without it making too much noise."

"Yeah, I heard," Elliot whispered.

He got to the opening and managed to get out, while Martouf held the door open and made sure it did not move any further. He silently pushed it closed again when Elliot was out, since he did not want to risk it swinging open and making more noise.

"Do you think you can get to safety yourself? I would like to find Zipacna's laboratory and destroy his sample of symbiote poison, as well as any data he may have gathered about it. We cannot allow him to keep it."

"Agreed, but wouldn't I be a better choice for that mission? I'm not susceptible to the poison."

Lantash took over, and Elliot saw the flash from his eyes in the darkness. It was a slightly eerie experience.

"I doubt enough is left to affect me, so you need not worry about that. Besides, I intend to destroy it, not release it. You are wounded - Martouf and I are not. Besides, while I have not been here before, other Tok'ra have. The basic layout of Zipacna's palace is known to me, as well as any other Tok'ra. The decision is logical - _I_ will go."

"Okay, okay. We'll do it your way. I'll try to find someplace to hide, or a way to get outside. Good luck."

"You, too."

* * *

><p>"I believe the holding cells are in this direction, but I'm not certain. Jolinar has never actually <em>been<em> inside Zipacna's holding cells, fortunately," Sam whispered to the others.

They continued on for a short while, listening for any signs of guards. There did not seem to be any, except for those they had dispatched earlier. Hearing someone cry out somewhere ahead, they hurried on, soon after turning a corner and continuing in the direction of the sound they had heard.

They had only taken a few steps more before they saw a man stumble into the corridor from a doorway, supporting himself against the wall. He had an activated zat'nik'tel in his hand.

"Elliot!" Sam exclaimed.

"Stay there - we'll come for you!" O'Neill called out, seeing how weak the young man was. "Are there any enemies nearby?"

Elliot shook his head, looking relieved and very confused to see him. "No. No guards."

They all hurried to him, O'Neill reaching him first and catching him as he was about to fall. "Easy. You're badly hurt."

Sam quickly checked the side corridor he had come from. "No one here." She turned back to the others, and noticed the blood seeping through the right side of Elliot's uniform. "You're bleeding."

"Yeah..." Elliot said, looking very pale. "One of...of the guards. Got me...knife. Before...could shoot..." He coughed and swayed.

He would have fallen if Daniel had not caught him. "Shh...take it easy. Don't talk."

"We'll get you out," O'Neill assured him. "Carter, doesn't Jacob have a healing device?"

"I'm sure he does. I'll give him a call, then we'll all get out of here." Sam took out the Tok'ra communicator.

"Wait...Zipacna...he has...a sample of the poi...poison," Elliot said, forcing himself to stay awake.

"Zipacna's got some of the symbiote poison?" Sam asked, alarmed.

Elliot nodded.

"Sir, we can't let him keep that. We need to destroy it." She turned to Elliot. "Does he know anything else about it?"

"I'm...not sure...maybe...I may have said...something...during torture..." Elliot looked miserable.

"Don't worry about it - we'll handle it," O'Neill said.

"What happened to Lantash?" Sam suddenly wanted to know.

"Carter! Not now!"

"Sorry, sir."

"He's...where he belongs...with...with Martouf," Elliot said.

Sam closed her eyes for a moment. "I understand." So Lantash was dead. That was what she had expected, but the confirmation still pained her. Much more than she had expected. She took a deep breath. "Listen, I'll take care of the poison - you get Elliot to my Dad, then get out of here."

"Are you crazy? We're not leaving you here!"

"Listen, it's only a matter of time before guards come. I _know_ this place. Better than any of you. I've been...I mean _Jolinar_ has been here. I _remember_ where to go - it will be in his lab, and she's been there. A large group of people will only get discovered. Go. Get Elliot out," Sam told them.

Elliot coughed violently just then, and a small dribble of blood ran from his mouth. His head fell forward, and he hung limply between O'Neill and Daniel. Sam quickly checked his pulse.

"He's alive."

O'Neill nodded, then looked unhappy. "All right, you go, but be careful."

"Always, sir." She activated the communicator, but got the signal that told her he could not currently answer without being discovered. She handed the communicator to O'Neill so he could contact her father and tell him to meet them - and bring his healing device.


	3. A Pleasant Surprise

Sam snuck along the corridors, having just passed a room which was obviously a guard room. However, no one was in it, but there were blood on the floor. She assumed one or more guards must have had an altercation with Elliot - which was when he had gotten wounded - and that he had somehow managed to kill the Jaffa and then vaporized the body. She was suitably impressed; Elliot had clearly been in bad shape from the torture even before being injured with the knife.

She opened a door and looked down into darkness - this was obviously the way to the holding cells, which were still without power. Nothing interesting for her down there. She closed the door again and returned to the corridor she had been in before, continuing in the same direction she had followed earlier. She was not as sure of the location of the laboratory as she had pretended to be. She _did_ recognize this area from Jolinar's memories, but while the layout did not appear to have changed, Sam only had a vague feeling for the place. She hoped it would be enough.

As she spotted the door to what she was reasonably sure was the laboratory, she felt elation - which only lasted seconds, before the alarm sounded from somewhere. It was obvious someone had discovered the sabotage in the power control room, the missing guards, or the missing prisoner. She would have to hurry.

Thankful that the Goa'uld in charge of the laboratory seemed to be at the celebration, Sam entered the semi-dark, quiet room and started searching for the symbiote poison.

Suddenly, she froze, sensing the energy signature of a symbiote. She cursed herself for her lack of attention, but much of the technology in the room was naquadah based and it had thrown off her ability to sense a symbiote, meaning the Goa'uld had gotten almost to her before she sensed it.

She only had time to half-turn towards the danger, before someone had jumped her and they both tumbled to the floor. She tried fighting the man, but he was stronger, faster, and more agile than she was - proving this Goa'uld had learned to fight, which was not exactly common.

He held her down, his body laying partly across her back as he pinned her arms over her head. "Surrender!" He hissed into her ear in a low voice.

"Never! Let go of me, damn Goa'uld!" Sam wriggled under him, trying to get him off. A part of her told her she should recognize that voice, but it could not be true.

"Samantha?" He let go of her hands and rolled off her. "It's me, Lantash."

Sam turned over and gaped at him, the light being enough to recognize him this close by. "_Lantash_? How can it be you...and _Martouf_? I thought...I thought you were dead, both of you!" She sounded incredulous.

She now realised what Elliot had meant when he said Lantash was with Martouf! She looked at Lantash and Martouf again, and suddenly felt her throat constrict with the emotion from seeing them alive again. She had a very strong desire to hug them, but now was not the time. Guards could arrive at any moment.

Lantash nodded. "We were, but Zipacna revived Elliot and I in order to torture us for information. Martouf as well - and he became my host again as you can see. However, this is a long story, and I gather from the alarm we just heard that we can expect company soon." He got up.

"You're right." Sam accepted Lantash's hand and he helped her up. "We need to find all of the information Zipacna has on the symbiote poison - and his sample."

"I had just located it when I heard you. Come - we should destroy it and leave."

* * *

><p>"Quickly - in here!" Lantash whispered as he pulled Sam into a niche, then took out the zat'nik'tel he had swiped from a dead Jaffa earlier.<p>

They crouched down behind the large pedestal that supported the statue of a naked couple having sex against a pillar. It was not a moment too soon, as a group of four Jaffa guards entered the corridor just as they hid.

Zipacna's data on the symbiote poison, as well as his - fortunately - very small sample of it, had been destroyed. They had also managed to make a back-up of all of Zipacna's research - something which no doubt would be very useful for the Tok'ra.

They sat as quiet as possible, barely daring to breathe, while the Jaffa passed. Both Lantash and Sam noiselessly slid a finger to the activation button on their zat'nik'tels when one of the Jaffa gave the statue a quick glance, leering at it for a moment - then continued on his way.

As the guards disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor, Sam and Lantash could finally relax, and they released the breaths they had both been holding.

"We need to find a better place to hide," Sam whispered, "or some other way to conceal ourselves." She looked down at her clothing, then over at Lantash, who was naked from the waist up. She felt her heart skip a beat as she admired his chest, fantasizing of running her hands up that...she quickly stopped her thoughts. They were in danger - and here she was, ogling him! "Perhaps we can find some clothes suitable for a human slave for you. Then we can both pretend to be servants, and none of the Jaffa or Goa'uld would look closely at us then, right?"

"Normally not - though I fear your attire would draw their attention in any case. You are beautiful, Samantha!" Lantash gave her a naughty smile, then dipped his head and gave Martouf control.

He looked up, a little shyly after Lantash's statement. "It might work, but if we get too close to any of the Goa'uld, they will immediately know I am not human...also, there seems to be something going on here at the palace. There should have been guards in the laboratory."

Sam nodded. "Yes, Zipacna is throwing a party to celebrate his alliance with Ares. That's what gave us the opportunity to get in here - SG-1 and my Dad are pretending to be Zarin's entourage."

"Ah, that explains a great many things. We wondered why the power suddenly went out, allowing us to escape, and also how you came to be here. Not that we're complaining." He gave her one of his most charming smiles. "We have missed you."

Sam felt her heart beat faster. He looked adorable. She had never thought she would see that smile again. Not ready to tell him of her feelings for him - and it was not really the right time for that anyway - she smiled at him.

"I missed you too," she admitted. "Now, we better get going before those guards come back!"

Martouf nodded. "Yes."

They listened for a while, not hearing even the distant tread of the Jaffa. Feeling reasonably safe, they got up and left their hiding place.

"We should try to get back to the others," Sam whispered. "This way."

* * *

><p>"Damn! More guards!" Sam swore in a low voice, as she and Martouf quickly dove for safety behind some red silk curtains in a small alcove in the corridor. It was good Goa'uld palaces were full of hide-outs, statues, and decorations - they made for excellent hiding places.<p>

The group of Jaffa marched past them, not looking to either left or right, and as usual they were making too much noise to hear anything else.

"I do not believe we will be able to get through the area around the hallway and to the other wing of this palace, where Jacob and your team is. Not as long as the Jaffa are looking for me and Elliot," Martouf pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm afraid you're right," Sam sighed. "Any ideas?"

"Well...we could try to find some different clothing and disguise ourselves among the kitchen slaves, perhaps. There will have been many extra servants hired for a celebration such as this, and no one will wonder why they do not know us." He thought for a moment. "The only other option I can think of, would be to somehow find a way out of the palace, and hide in whatever stables or warehouses we find there. In any case, we cannot stay here, or we will soon be found."

Sam nodded. "You're right..." She shook her head, frustrated. "I'm sorry - Jolinar may have known where to go, but I just can't remember!"

"You must not apologize, Samantha. I am surprised you remember this much. Jolinar was only at this palace occasionally. She was an underlord with her own small domain, during most of the time she was undercover in Zipacna's realm."

* * *

><p>"You can't be serious! <em>Leaving<em>! Carter isn't back yet!" O'Neill stared disbelieving at Zarin.

"I apologize, but currently Jaffa are searching everywhere in the palace. Zipacna will be furious his prisoner has escaped - and that someone obviously helped him, since the power control room was sabotaged and the technician and several Jaffa were killed in the process. I have told the Jaffa I would consider it an insult if they searched my chambers here, but soon Zipacna himself will order it, and I will have no choice but to allow it. Our only chance is to disguise your lieutenant as one of my servants, and get him and you to my ship before someone who will recognize them show up."

Selmak allowed the healing device to turn off, having repaired most of Elliot's many injuries. The young lieutenant now breathed more freely, and the unconsciousness had been replaced by a more normal sleep. Elliot had a pretty bad concussion, which Selmak had mitigated much with the healing device, but he would benefit from resting and allowing the rest to heal naturally. The Tok'ra turned to join the conversation.

"I am not pleased at the prospect of leaving Samantha, but I am afraid I must agree with Zarin. If we stay, we _will_ be captured - and that will not help Samantha."

"And Jacob _agrees_?"

"Reluctantly."

"So we leave," O'Neill sighed. "You know how much I hate leaving anyone behind."

Selmak bowed her head and gave Jacob control. He looked unhappy.

"Sam will have an easier time hiding than we do - she's one person, and she has Jolinar's memories to help her. That doesn't mean I like it."

Out of options, they woke up a very groggy and confused Elliot and helped him put on a disguise before leaving. Walking out of the room in plain sight, following Zarin to her ship, the Jaffa did not give them more than a passing glance. They did not expect the servants of a minor god, loyal to Zipacna, to be disloyal. At least they dared not suggest it without orders directly to that, when Zarin vouched for them.

It was a good thing they left when they did, though. The order to detain and interrogate everyone came just as Zarin's ship was leaving. She was first asked, then given a direct order to come back or be fired upon. She did not hesitate telling her First Prime to have the ship accelerate away from the planet as fast as possible, and jump to hyperspace the moment it was possible.

They made it, just as Zipacna's deathgliders were approaching. Had they waited just a few minutes more, it would have been too late.

Elliot was still somewhat confused and bothered by his concussion, and the Tok'ra gave him something that would make him sleep for at least a day, or so, allowing his body to recover after the ordeal.

* * *

><p>"In a way it's too bad we couldn't find any clothes for you that would work for a minor Goa'uld - wouldn't that have made it easier to get out, you think?" Sam wondered. "I have a hand device I stole from a Goa'uld technician we killed earlier."<p>

They had snuck into the laundry room and stolen some suitable clothes from a clothes line, then made their way to a rather large storage  
>room behind the palace's kitchen, without being discovered.<p>

Martouf shook his head. "The hand device may prove useful, but as for pretending to be a Goa'uld, I doubt it would have worked. As a slave, no one will be concerned they do not recognize me. A strange Goa'uld would stand out - at least to the First Prime and the other lower leaders among the Jaffa. Of course, if I get too close to a Goa'uld, it will not matter how I am dressed. No, this outfit is better."

Sam nodded. "I understand."

Martouf began to strip off the soiled and torn clothing he wore and Sam quickly turned her back, as she realised he came from a culture which did not have the same problems with nudity as her own.

"I apologize. I forgot the Tau'ri consider nudity offensive."

"It's all right...and we don't consider it offensive, well most of us don't, it's just..." Sam blushed. "In my culture, usually only people in a relationship feel comfortable being naked around each other." She grabbed the clothes they had stolen for her and walked towards a pile of large boxes. "I'll change over here."

When she stepped back out a little while later, Martouf was already there, wearing the clean - but obviously very worn - clothing they had found for him. He smiled at her, somewhat mischievously.

"You look..._cute_ in that. However, both Lantash and I must admit to preferring your other outfit."

Sam felt her cheeks grow red again. The clothes she had worn before had obviously been those of a more trusted, personal slave for a minor Goa'uld Lord - and so she had been dressed scantily and to enhance her figure, as was custom. What she wore now was a dress meant for a common slave. It was still nice clothing, as she would have worked inside the castle, but not nearly as provocative. She wore a modest, blue dress, somewhat faded, with no embroidery or other decoration. She also had a thin leather belt and matching leather sandals.

Meeting Martouf's eyes, she smiled back at him, deciding to get back at him in the same manner. She looked at him, slowly appraising him from foot to head. He wore a pair of grey linen pants, not much different from what he usually wore as part of his uniform, and a shirt of a blue colour matching her own dress. He wore sandals, just like she did.

"Well, I must admit I'm a little saddened you've covered up your chest..."

Martouf raised an eyebrow. Pleased, his smile grew wider. "Oh, well that can quickly be remedied..." He sighed, sobering. "Though right now we need to find a better place to hide." He pulled out the zat'nik'tel. "Put all our old clothes in a pile. We cannot risk anyone finding them."

Sam nodded and did as he asked. He shot the clothes three times, making them disappear. It was not a moment too soon, because he had barely hidden the zat'nik'tel under his shirt, before he suddenly froze.

"What is it?" Sam whispered.

"Jaffa...just outside the door." He looked around for a place to hide, but saw nothing nearby except the boxes Sam had used to conceal herself a short while ago, when she changed clothes. At the other end of the room were several large boxes, as well as a door to another section, but it was too far away for them to reach it in time. "Behind here!" He quickly pulled her after him, and she followed. "I fear they will see us, though. They are likely to search the room thoroughly, and these boxes barely cover us." He looked concerned.

For a moment they listened to the muffled sounds of cupboards being opened, boxes being pushed around, and pots and pans falling to the floor, on the other side of the door. It was quickly followed by someone shouting angrily, and then heavy steps were approaching the door to the storage room.

"I have an idea..." Sam said, putting a hand behind his head and pulling him to her, kissing him.

Surprised, Martouf did not react at first, but he soon realised her intention and threw his arms around her, returning the kiss with fervor.

Sam made a small sound and closed her eyes, momentarily forgetting the situation. His lips felt wonderful against hers, and his body was pressing against hers just right...

She was quickly brought back to the present when the door was opened and several Jaffa entered the room. Their leader immediately stepped up to Sam and Martouf/Lantash and gave them a brutal push in the direction of the door. "Lazy human scum! Hiding back here and satisfying your dirty little desires instead of working! You are fortunate I have more important things to do than to punish you for your transgressions! Get back to work!" He yelled at them.

Apologizing - and feeling relieved, Sam and Martouf/Lantash fled the room, only to find that all the kitchen servants had made themselves scarce, not wanting to risk a confrontation with the angry Jaffa. The whole area was empty, except for the group of Jaffa searching the storage room.

Realizing they would need provisions, they quickly snatched a bag, putting fruit, bread, dried meat - whatever they could get their hands on quickly - into it. As they were hurrying out of the kitchen, Martouf spotted a water skin, which he grabbed before they left. It was not a moment too soon. Just as they exited the door, they heard the Jaffa behind them, leaving the storage area after finishing their search.


	4. Escaping Together

They were hiding out in an old storage building near the edge of the palace compound, waiting for deep night so they could find a place to scale the wall that was encircling the entire palace grounds. The place seemed completely peaceful, and there were many places to hide, so they took the opportunity to relax a little and take stock of what they had.

"We've got one hand device, two zats, and two knives," Sam said. "How are we on food?"

Martouf was rummaging around in the bag. "Two loaves of bread, about 20 apples, several handfuls of dried dates, as well as maybe 1 pound of dried meat."

"Not too bad. It should be enough - I don't intend to stay here longer than absolutely necessary," Sam remarked. "I think I saw a well near the wall. We can probably fill that water skin from it."

"Agreed. As for not staying long on this planet...I fear we may have to. The chaapa'ai is not far away, but the direct road will be heavily guarded."

"You saw the Stargate when you arrived? What direction is it in?"

Martouf shook his head. "No, I did not. I was dead, as you will remember. However, the distance between Zipacna's palace and the chaapa'ai was included in the information all Tok'ra have been given about this world. It is approximately 15 miles, in _that_ direction," he pointed, "but much of the way the path winds through a narrow valley, with guard posts above it. The Jaffa will be patrolling even more heavily than usual. I fear it will be quite impossible to traverse that distance without being discovered and captured."

"Do you know if there is another way?"

He was quiet for a moment. "There is a forest behind the mountains - almost a jungle, really - which we may be able to cross. We could probably then pass through the foothills of the mountains near the chaapa'ai, and reach it from the other side. I do not know how open the area around the chaapa'ai itself is, but I believe it is our best possibility." He looked as if there was something that was worrying him.

"It sounds like it might be a long trip." Sam looked unhappy. "Also, I have this...memory from Jolinar. It's not very clear, but there is some danger in that forest, I think."

Martouf nodded. "I believe you are correct. Jolinar did mention some unspecified danger. Perhaps predators of some kind, though for some reason I do not believe it was animals that were the threat." He wrinkled his brow, then shook his head. "It is no use; I simply do not know, and neither does Lantash."

"I don't think Jolinar knew either. Really, it may all just have been a legend she had heard?" Sam said, hopeful.

"I doubt that, but I suppose we can hope." Martouf sighed. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about that forest.

* * *

><p>Martouf fastened the full water skin with a strap over his shoulder before he hurried to where Sam was waiting for him.<p>

It was late night, and very dark. The planet had moons - at least two from what they had seen - but only the smaller of the them was up, and it was currently hidden behind a thick cloud.

The wall was quite high, but less so from this side than the other, since a ditch had been dug on the other side. The wall was predominantly meant to keep people out, not in.

They found a tree that grew close enough to the wall that they could climb it and then be able to reach the wall with a small jump. Sam was sitting on a thick branch that stretched out towards the wall.

"Hurry," She whispered at Martouf when he reached her. "I saw something move over there." She indicated some buildings maybe 100 feet away.

"Yes, I heard sounds from over there just a moment ago." Martouf frowned, worried.

He quickly climbed the tree, waiting to step out onto the branch Sam was currently on, until she jumped off it. It probably would not hold if both of them sat on it at the same time.

Sam leapt for the wall and caught hold of it, pulling herself up. She listened for any sounds or movement that could indicate anyone had discovered her, but detected nothing. She sat down, as comfortably as possible.

"Okay, throw me the water skin and the bag with the food," She said in a low voice.

Martouf threw them at her, one at a time, and Sam allowed them to fall to the ground in the ditch on the other side, as gently as possible. She had just let go of the last of the items, when the moon came out from behind the cloud and illuminated everything with a pale yellow light. She swore in a low voice, hoping the Jaffa did not chose to look in their direction just now.

Unfortunately, she and Martouf almost immediately heard a shout from one of the guards, indicating the escapees had been discovered. Several Jaffa began running towards them.

"Quickly, throw me the hand device, then get down from there!" Lantash called out to Sam, having taken over control from Martouf.

She pulled out the hand device and threw it, seeing him catch it just before she allowed herself to slide down on the other side of the wall. She would have preferred to stay and help, shooting at the Jaffa with her zat'nik'tel, but she had been completely exposed where she sat, and the zat'nik'tel was not the best weapon in this situation. She very much hoped Lantash could stun or injure enough of the Jaffa with the hand device, to allow him to escape unharmed.

Lantash quickly put on the ribbon device and did not waste any time in sending a strong shock wave in the direction of the approaching Jaffa. They were still about 40-50 feet away, and the shock wave was necessarily spread out to hit as many of the attackers as possible, but it was enough to throw some of them to the ground, and all of them into disarray and confusion.

He did not wait for them to regroup, but jumped for the wall and landed easily atop it. He threw a look in the direction of the guards. They were clearly unsure. They recognized the shock wave from a hand device - something they did not expect, since they assumed it to be humans they were looking for.

Lantash sent another blast towards the Jaffa, then jumped into the ditch outside the wall, letting himself roll as he hit the ground, to avoid injury.

The ditch was quite wide and relatively deep. There would be no way for them to get back up onto the wall from this side without rope or a ladder, but that was unimportant - they did not want to get inside the compound again.

Fortunately, it had not rained recently, and there was no water in the ditch, so they did not get wet. Sam picked up the bag and the water skin, handing Lantash the latter as he rose. They both sprinted for the nearby forest, reaching it before the Jaffa had time to scale the wall and either pursue them or shoot at them. They were safe - for now, at least.

* * *

><p>It took only short time for Jacob and the others to reach the nearest planet with a Stargate, where Zarin let off the Tau'ri who would be returning to Earth. She would probably not be able to return to her position as Zipacna's underling after this incident. Zipacna would more than likely suspect her of being a Tok'ra, and he might well decide to torture and kill her.<p>

Zarin's mission had been important, and she had spent a long time securing the position. The Tok'ra Council would likely not be happy to lose this asset. Zarin, however, was not angry. She was very much in favour of the Tok'ra-Tau'ri alliance, and was pleased she had been able to help.

She and Jacob would take the ship to some planet where it could be stored for later use - after letting the Jaffa and other servants off on another planet first. Jacob would then make discreet contacts to Jorra, and hopefully get information about Sam. They were all very worried about her.

* * *

><p>"Lieutenant Elliot is in the infirmary, still sleeping from whatever the Tok'ra gave him. Doctor Fraiser says the healing Jacob did on him means he won't have to stay down there for long, she really just wants to keep an eye on him until he wakes up...well, maybe a day or two more. In any case, that should happen within a day, or so." O'Neill reported.<p>

"Good. I'm happy you were able to save him," Hammond said, looking relieved. "Is there any further news about Major Carter?"

"Unfortunately not, but Jacob will contact us as soon as he hears anything from their operative."

They gave Hammond a summary of what had happened on the mission, before he dismissed them to write their reports. None of them would feel very good until they knew more about Sam's fate.

* * *

><p>"How was it to wake up without Lantash? I would think it must have been very unpleasant and lonely, wasn't it?" Sam wondered.<p>

They had walked for several hours now, and the sky was beginning to lighten. Martouf had just finished giving her a short summary of all that had happened, and how he and Lantash had re-blended.

Martouf snorted. "I would have to say that 'unpleasant and lonely' does not do the experience justice."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I realise it must have been horrible waking up without your...well, soulmate, I guess," Sam said. She felt like kicking herself for her bad choice of words.

"I was devastated. Lantash is more than my best friend, he is a part of me. I did not even feel life was worth living without him," Martouf said quietly. "Having him back is more wonderful than I can describe." He smiled.

Sam nodded. "I do understand. When...when Jolinar died...I was depressed for a long time, and I had only been her host for less than two days - and the experience had been less than optimal. I cannot begin to comprehend the depth of your relationship, you and Lantash. You have been together for...well more than a 100 years at least, I guess. You truly are one in many ways."

"We are. It is a very rewarding relationship, and I am sorry for your experience with Jolinar." He looked at her with concern. "If Lantash and I could change it for you we would. You are, however, incorrect in your assumption I've been Lantash's host for that long. It is closer to 27 years now, actually."

"Really? But...I thought you told me Jolinar had been your mate for about 100 years?" Sam looked at him, surprised.

Martouf nodded. "That is correct. However, Lantash had a different host during some of that time - for just over 75 years, actually. I was only 17 - barely - when I became his host and entered the relationship." He sighed. "The Tok'ra view such things differently. When I blended with Lantash, it became to me as if _I_ had been the mate of Jolinar and Rosha for all those years, as if _I_ had loved them for 75 years...and so, the Tok'ra consider the new host to have been in the relationship for the entire duration, despite it not, strictly being so. If you have the memories and the feelings telling you it _is_ so, is that not real and valid? Should that not be acknowledged?"

"Yes...yes it should...and I actually understand. As I told you that first time, when we had just met, it does feel to me as if _I_ have had a relationship with you for 100 years. How much more powerful must that feeling not be when you are fully blended!" Sam agreed, blushing a little. She suddenly looked at Martouf. "Wow, you weren't even an adult when you became Lantash's host! Were you sick? Wounded?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. Lantash's host was mortally wounded by Jaffa guarding the chaapa'ai on my world. There were no other possible hosts nearby, and the other Tok'ra with Lantash told me what they were and that Lantash needed a host. I volunteered."

"You _volunteered_? Just like that? Had you heard of the Tok'ra before?"

"No, but I _did_ know I wanted to fight the Goa'uld - and despite the seeming evidence to the contrary, these people could not be Goa'uld, or they would not have _asked_ me to be a host. They would simply have taken me." He smiled at Sam. "It _was_ the only right choice."

Sam looked impressed. "That's some decision to make for a 17 year old! Or anyone else for that matter."

"I have never regretted it. Lantash and I are similar in some ways, different in others, but we are very compatible, regardless of any differences, and he is the best friend anyone could have - despite his somewhat acerbic humour and sometimes volatile temper..." Martouf winced as Lantash 'yelled' at him. "He can also be somewhat loud, from time to time..."

Sam laughed. "You sound a little like an old married couple...except for the 'old' part."

Martouf nodded slowly. "That is actually not far from the truth. In fact, the relationship between host and symbiote is closer than any other. Closer than between mates."

Sam looked at him again, suddenly realising something. "Don't get me wrong, but shouldn't you look even younger than you do? I mean, you were a teen when you blended, and you've only been blended for 27 years..."

"True, and actually I should." Martouf bowed his head and gave control to Lantash.

"Normally, Martouf would scarcely look older today than he did when he became my host, but after resuming our relationship with Rosha and Jolinar, we realised it was a matter of concern for Rosha, at least to begin with. Jolinar did not think anything of it, but Rosha - who looked to be in her mid- to late twenties - felt old, compared to Martouf. We decided I should not halt his aging much - at least when it came to his physical appearance - for the first five to ten years. Internally, he is no older than he was then, and visibly he will not age for centuries, so it does not have any influence on his lifespan. It is actually a very easy thing for a symbiote to control."

"That's..._impressive_." Sam looked like she really meant it. "Perhaps you should include _that_ in your recruitment folder." She grinned.

Lantash raised an eyebrow at her, then nodded, understanding what she meant. "Perhaps we should, though I fear it would not hold much sway compared to the fear and disgust the majority of humans seem to feel at the thought of becoming a host."

* * *

><p>They continued walking for some time, each in their own thoughts. Sam knew she would have to talk to them about what had happened on Revanna when Zipacna attacked. When she learned of Lantash's feelings for her, but especially about her reaction to it - and how she had responded.<p>

Lantash loved her! As much as he had loved Jolinar! The revelation had been a shock to her - though to be honest, she _had_ known he and Martouf had feelings for her, she had just never been certain if it was more than 'fondness', nor if those emotions were for her, or for what she carried from Jolinar.

Sam had not known what to say. At the same time, she had been very distressed to learn the Tok'ra had removed Lantash and let Martouf die. Not the complete truth, she knew that now, but then she had been devastated by the knowledge. Shortly after, Zipacna had attacked, Lantash's tank had been destroyed, and he had taken Elliot as his host.

She had not been able to wrap her head around this at the time. What she felt for Martouf - and for Lantash as well - was not something she had been ready to admit, even to herself. To suddenly see Lantash in another host - when she had not even fully accepted what she felt for Martouf and Lantash - had confused her. She had realised she still felt the love for Lantash, but that she felt nothing for Elliot, of course. It was all very weird, and at the time, it had all been too much for her. She had clamped down on her feelings, as she so often did. Actually, she had barely responded to Lantash's declaration of love - and to learning he had only fought to live in order to tell her of his feelings.

How she had regretted not telling him! She had not even told him she liked him, and in truth, she loved him.

Then he had died, giving his life so that she, her team, and her father could live. Died, without ever knowing how she felt for him.

Sam had been inconsolable when Martouf and Lantash had turned out to be zatarcs...when she had shot them. Then, for a long time she had held out hope they might be saved, that Lantash might heal Martouf and himself.

That day on Revanna had taken away all her hope, and when she had finally returned home, and was alone, she had cried as she had never cried before. Finally, she had truly realised how she felt for both Martouf and Lantash, but it was too late. She had suppressed her feelings as she always did, and she had gotten through the next couple of days, living as if in a daze.

No one had known, though. She was _very_ good at hiding her feelings.

That was when her father had shown up with the information that Lantash and Elliot had somehow survived. A part of her began to feel hope. Hope that she would get the chance to talk to Lantash again. That it would not be too late to tell him of her feelings.

Then her father had told them Elliot was no longer blended. She knew it meant Lantash was likely dead. She had plummeted into depression again.

Only to go to Zipacna's palace and suddenly learn that not only was Lantash still alive, but Martouf was as well...and they were again blended!

She had been through some large mood swings, as well as an emotionally very trying time, and to be honest, there was nothing she wanted more than to throw herself in the arms of Martouf and Lantash, to be held and comforted. However, she did not know how to tell them of her feelings, or how they would react if she did. She very much feared they would be angry at her, because of how she had treated Lantash. She knew she certainly deserved it.

She thought back to how it had felt when they had kissed. It had been wonderful, so much better even than she had imagined...and she had to admit she _had_ spent a lot of time fantasizing about Martouf and Lantash kissing her - and making love to her. She regularly had dreams caused by Jolinar's memories, and while many were unpleasant and caused by the symbiote's experiences undercover, there had also been many wonderful - and very erotic dreams. She sighed to herself. She could almost feel Martouf's lips against hers again...how she wished the Jaffa had not interrupted them. Of course, they had only been kissing in order to confuse the Jaffa, but still...Sam threw a look at the Tok'ra walking beside her. They seemed to be lost in their own thoughts - or perhaps talking. Well, being stranded here together should give her an excellent opportunity to explain herself - and tell them of her feelings. Now she just needed to work up the courage to do so.


	5. Waiting for News

They had taken a short break to eat a little, and to relax some. It was now well past noon, and none of them had slept the night before. They were all getting tired, and knew they would soon have to find a place to sleep for a few hours, at least.

Twice they had seen death gliders streak across the sky, but there had been no indications that they had been discovered in the now quite dense forest.

They were following a course that would hopefully take them around the mountains, and eventually to the Stargate, from a direction where there were few or no Jaffa guards.

Martouf/Lantash - and Sam - knew from the information Jolinar had gathered centuries ago, that the Jaffa never went into the woods. Of course, given a good enough reason, Zipacna would probably order them in, if he thought Martouf was hiding there.

What neither Sam nor Martouf/Lantash knew, was _why_ the Jaffa did not venture into the forest. They only had a rather vague idea that there was a danger here, but not what it could be.

So far, nothing had shown itself, and everything seemed peaceful enough, though Sam would happily admit the place was getting more eerie as they entered deeper into the denser part of the forest. It was colder too, and even now, only a few hours after noon, the light had difficulty penetrating to the forest floor.

Martouf began to wrap and put aside the rest of the food, placing it back in the bag. "Do you wish to eat more, Samantha?"

"No." She shook her head. "I've had enough." She yawned. "What I really wish for is a soft bed. I think I could sleep for a _week_!"

He smiled. "I share your feeling. I, too, am weary, as is Lantash. I would suggest we sleep a few hours before we continue. This place is as good as any, and it is only going to get colder, so we will probably prefer to walk during the night. We do not have any blankets to wrap ourselves in."

"That's true." Sam looked unhappy. "This damn forest will probably get very cold tonight, and there is at least some sunlight here now, even if it's diffuse." She yawned again. "Sleeping sounds very good."

Martouf mirrored her yawn, then finished packing up the food. He looked around for a suitable place to sleep, and pointed to a patch of dry grass not far from the fallen tree they had been sitting on. "I would suggest over there."

"Looks good to me." Sam ambled over there, looked critically at the ground for a few minutes, then sat down in a spot that seemed free of rocks or anything else unpleasant. She noted to her satisfaction that the ground was dry and seemed to be free of ants. She sighed happily and lay down.

Martouf came over to her and put the bag of food up on a forked branch nearby, hoping to dissuade the wildlife from stealing it while they slept. He hung the water skin on another branch, then sat down a short distance from Sam. He listened for a moment, but could not hear anything suspicious, except for the normal sounds of the forest. He picked up a small rock and threw it away, then, satisfied the surface was agreeable, he lay down as well.

"Sleep well, Samantha."

"Thanks. Sleep well, Martouf...and Lantash."

Sam had not slept long before she awoke, freezing. The sun had moved far enough down in the sky that even the diffuse light from before was not filtering through the dense forest. It was too cold to go back to sleep.

She sat up, shivering, and began trying to rub some warmth into her arms. It was not helping much, and she was considering getting up and walking around, when Lantash spoke.

"You are cold, Samantha?"

"Yes. I think I will take a short walk. You sleep."

He shook his head. "I am able to raise our body temperature some, but we are getting cold as well. Why don't you lie down her beside me, then we can share our body heat?"

"I..." Sam blushed a little.

"Do not be concerned. I will not...ah..._ravish_ you." Lantash smiled, a little mischievously, as he noticed her hesitation.

Sam rolled her eyes and sat down again, close to him. "Well, I suppose it's a good idea, if we're both cold..."

She lay down, then looked at Lantash who was lying on his side and holding out his arms to allow her to scoot up to him. He was smiling impishly. With a small shrug, she crawled up to him. They were just helping each other stay warm, no harm in that, right?

It was a very nice feeling! Lying close together like this, his warm body against hers, was wonderful. It reminded her of all the times she had fantasized about him. Unbidden, a memory flash from Jolinar appeared, showing her how he looked, completely naked - and how it felt when he was making love to her. To Jolinar, Sam quickly reminded herself. She blushed and was happy she had her back to him, so he would not notice.

Almost without thinking, she snuggled closer to him, accidentally rubbing her butt against his groin. He gasped, and she felt him react.

"Sorry. I...sorry." She did not know what to say.

"I do not mind." Lantash answered, then, daringly, he gave her a small kiss on the back of her head. Then he sighed. "We are both exhausted, and we should sleep."

Sam nodded, equal parts relieved and disappointed. "We should. Good night, Lantash."

"Good night, Samantha."

He held her close, burying his face in her neck. It was nice lying together like this, and it soothed his feelings. He was still disappointed by her reaction to learning of his feelings, and he did not truly dare to hope she felt anything for him.

Snuggling like this, they fell asleep.

* * *

><p>It was mid-afternoon at the SGC when an unscheduled, off-world activation of the Stargate was announced.<p>

Daniel, O'Neill, and Teal'c were all still on the base. Too anxious for information about Sam to go to either their off-base homes - those that had them - or their quarters here, they sat together in the mess hall. They had just fetched their fourth cups of coffee, when they heard the announcement, and they all jumped up and hurried to the gateroom, hoping it was Jacob.

They entered, seeing Hammond talking to Jacob, another, unknown Tok'ra standing beside him. It was probably a guard or assistant, since the Tok'ra usually sent one or two of those together with their representative.

"Any news about Major Carter?" Hammond asked.

"Only that she has not been captured. Jorra has not been able to find out much, since he has been sent back to Ares by Zipacna, but he is certain Sam is no longer in Zipacna's palace. It has been searched thoroughly, and they would have found her if she was there. She _must_ have been able to escape, but Jorra does not believe it will be easy for her to reach the Stargate. The road to it is heavily fortified. It may be possible to take another way to the Stargate, through a large forest, but that road is dangerous too, as well as long." Jacob looked very worried. "Jorra promised to do his best to find out more, and see if there is any way to help Sam out, but I'm afraid it will take time."

"Let's continue this in my office." Hammond suggested. "You're welcome, too." He added, nodding at O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c.

* * *

><p>Sam awoke slowly. She was still tired and groggy, but something had waken her up. It was almost completely dark, and quite chilly, but there was a pleasant warmth against her back.<p>

It took her a moment to remember where she was...and who was lying beside her. She blushed a little when she recalled Lantash snuggling up to her, not trying to hide his feelings for her...and her admission, if only to herself, that she was attracted to him. In love with him, to be completely honest.

Not ready to confront that thought, she pushed it away. She sighed noiselessly. She wanted nothing more than to stay where she was and fall back asleep, but something told her they needed to find a safer place to stay. There was a danger here, she remembered, but not what it was. The memories continued to be just out of reach.

She spent a moment listening for anyone...or _anything_ that might be coming for them, but she heard nothing now. Had she actually heard something before? Surely it would have awakened Martouf and Lantash first - Tok'ra had enhanced senses.

Of course, both were quite heavy sleepers, she remembered that from Jolinar, though if the noise had truly appeared dangerous...she suddenly froze. There the noise was again! It sounded nothing so much as the wind rustling in the leaves, which explained why it had not awakened Martouf/Lantash. It sounded harmless...

However, something in that noise made her hair stand on end! She gently nudged Martouf/Lantash, waking them.

"Shh...quiet," She whispered. "I think there's _something_ out there..."

Martouf quickly sat up and looked around, then listened intently. "It sounds like the wind..." He said in a low voice. "...however, there is something not quite right." He rose very quietly and pulled out his zat'nik'tel.

Sam already had her own weapon out, and together they checked the area. Everything seemed calm - but the sound of rustling leaves were gone, which was suspicious in itself.

Martouf took down the bag with their food, and their water skin, and they quickly left the place, walking on in the direction they had set out on earlier.

When they had walked for some time, and nothing unpleasant had happened, they began to relax. Perhaps it had just been their imagination?

It was very late evening now, and one moon was up. It had trouble penetrating the thick forest, but what came through threw a ghostly light over the winding path they were currently following.

They reached a fork in the road, and Martouf did not even hesitate for a moment before he continued down one of them.

"I have been wondering..." Sam said, curiously, "...how can you be so sure of the direction? Or are you just guessing? It's been many many hours since we saw enough of the sun to make out its position, and the same goes for that pale moon that's up now - and I must admit I am completely lost."

"We are going in the right direction – following a route parallel to the main road to the chaapa'ai. It's position – and the placement of the guards posts – were in the report Jolinar gave after she pretended to be an underlord of Zipacna's. All Tok'ra have read that."

"That doesn't explain how you know _our_ position in respect to the Stargate," Sam pointed out.

"True, but that is easily explained. The chaapa'ai is made predominantly of naquadah, and it resonates with the naquadah in Lantash's blood; we can sense the direction to it, and to some degree the distance, though the latter only roughly. You should be able to sense it as well."

"Really?" Sam closed her eyes and stood very still, trying to focus. After a little while she opened them again and slowly shook her head. "I can't feel anything - except you."

Martouf nodded. "That will be the strongest signal at this distance, however the sensation is slightly different. Organically bound naquadah, weapons-grade naquadah, ordinary refined naquadah, and raw naquadah all give a different reaction. The signal from the chaapa'ai comes from a different direction than the one from Lantash, and it is more of a hum than a tingling...if that makes any sense to you. There are precise Goa'uld words, but..."

"...but they will not mean anything to me." Sam sighed and closed her eyes again, concentrating. Suddenly, she felt it. A relatively weak signal, feeling much like a hum in her blood - and somehow pulling her slightly. It was easy to tell the direction, but she did not know how he could tell the distance - perhaps by the strength of the signal, and by practice. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I feel it! Cool!"

Martouf smiled back. "You will find it is often a very useful ability. For one thing, you can never completely get lost."

* * *

><p>During the debriefing, Jacob had given them all the information the Tok'ra had about Sam and what had happened on Zipacna's planet after O'Neill and the others had left. There was little news, but at least they knew Sam was alive and not captured.<p>

The Tok'ra operative had reported that Zipacna was furious. Not only had one of his underlings betrayed him - but he correctly suspected Zarin was a Tok'ra. On top of this humiliation, saboteurs had destroyed the sample he had found of the symbiote poison, as well as all his data about it. Not only that, but they had rescued his prisoner, meaning he had no one to interrogate for any more information about the poison. Zipacna was NOT a happy camper.

However, there was nothing they could do right now to help Sam, and that was stressing for all of them. There was nothing worse than having to wait and do nothing when your friend might be in danger. Jorra would do his best to learn more.

"Sir - regardless of the lack of any real information, I request permission to go back there and rescue Carter. We can't leave her there on her own!" O'Neill exclaimed. "I can't believe you're giving up on her."

"I'm not giving up on Major Carter, but from what I have heard, there is no way to reach her right now. Any team going to that planet would be captured immediately. We will have to wait for..._Jorra_ to report back." Hammond sighed. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but I can't let you go."

O'Neill looked very unhappy, but did not say anything further. He knew it would not help right now, but it did not mean he would not try again later.

Worried about their team mate - but pleased Zipacna was at least unhappy, and that Sam was still free - Daniel, O'Neill, and Teal'c left for something to eat in the mess hall while Jacob stayed to talk some more with his friend, Hammond.

Jacob had just gotten up from his chair, with the intention of returning to the Tok'ra, when Hammond's telephone rang.

Hammond picked up the receiver. "Yes?" He listened for a little while. "That is good news. We will be there in a moment." He hung up and turned to Jacob, who looked at him expectantly. "That was Doctor Fraiser. She says Lieutenant Elliot is awake. Let's go find out if he has some information."

Jacob nodded. "We should probably get Jack and the others - they'll be very interested to hear if he knows anything that might help Sam."

Hammond nodded and went to give them a call over the public announcement system.

* * *

><p>O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c had hurried to the infirmary the moment they heard the announcement, and met Hammond and Jacob outside the doors. Together, they went to talk to Lieutenant Elliot.<p>

Elliot was lying in one of the beds, with strict orders from Janet that he was to stay there for the next couple of days. He sat up when he saw O'Neill and the others approach, smiling at them. "My saviours." He noticed Hammond. "General."

"How're you doing, son?" Hammond asked, smiling friendly at him.

"Pretty good, actually." Elliot smiled at Jacob. "Thanks to you, I hear."

"Selmak, actually, but we're both glad we could help."

"Lieutenant...how much do you remember from Zipacna's palace? Major Carter is still missing, but we have reason to believe she's been able to escape and is on the run. Did you see any place she could hide, perhaps?"

Elliot shook his head slowly. "No. I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything useful." He wrinkled his brow. "Did Lantash and Martouf get away too?" He sounded concerned.

The others all stared at him.

"Didn't you say Lantash was dead? Martouf certainly is, so I think you're maybe confusing someone..." O'Neill said.

"Lantash isn't dead, and neither is Martouf - he's Lantash's host again." Elliot said. "Didn't I mention that before? No, I think perhaps I did not. Well, he is - and they're both fine. Well, they were, when I last saw them, anyway."

O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c all looked questioningly at Jacob.

"Don't look at me! I don't know anything about it. As far as I know, they're both dead. I really don't think Ren'al and her group would have lied to me about something like this."

"Lantash said he thinks they must have kept Martouf's body in stasis after they removed him. Perhaps some of the Tok'ra scientists thought they could learn more, or something?" Elliot said. "Lantash was very angry over having been removed against his wishes, since he felt confident he could have healed Martouf and himself."

"I will look into it." Jacob looked grim. "Zipacna's Jaffa must have taken Martouf and revived him in a sarcophagus. Same for Lantash and Elliot."

"Yes, and since I..." Elliot looked somewhat abashed. "Since I didn't want to stay a host, and since Martouf was there...well, he became Lantash's host again." He frowned. "It may sound strange to some of you, but I miss him. I feel...lonely, with only myself in my mind. Enough that I may one day decide to become a host again." Elliot took a deep breath, then quickly explained what happened before SG-1 came to rescue him.

"Jorra would have mentioned it if Zipacna had captured _anyone_, so Martouf and Lantash must have gotten away, as well." Jacob still had a look of disbelief on his face. He shook his head. "Well, hopefully he met Sam, and they have escaped together. They should have a better chance that way, especially if they have to go through the forest." He looked a little happier, both knowing his friend was alive, and because Sam was not alone out there.

O'Neill looked as if he could not decide if he was more relieved Sam might not be alone on Zipacna's planet - or more unhappy Martouf/Lantash were the ones with her. He had to admit he was probably more relieved, despite his dislike for the Tok'ra. He was quite worried for his friend and team mate.


	6. Lurking Danger

They had walked all night, with only a short break just before sunrise, to get something to eat. Now the sun was climbing in the sky, but down here among the trees it was still twilight and the air had barely started to warm.

Sam shuddered a little as she suddenly heard that noise again - the almost, but not quite, rustling of leaves in the wind. The sound had been absent for many hours, but now it was back.

Of course, the air was just as still as it had been the whole time, but that was not the only reason it unnerved her. It was the way the sound abruptly began and then stopped, as if the trees had _moved_, just a little. She would be very glad when they were out of this forest.

She sighed and pushed those gloomy thoughts aside. She was probably just imagining it. Sam stole a glance at the man walking beside her. She felt her heart beat faster as she again thought about Lantash's declaration of love for her. He _loves_ her. As much as he loved Jolinar. She again felt a wave of regret for not telling him of her feelings. She had gotten a second chance to tell him. She should take it, but what if he no longer loved her? Or if he could not forgive her for not telling him then?

Sam felt divided. She really wanted to tell him, but _was_ that the right thing to do? She did not want to lose the friendship she _did_ have. She continued thinking about it, arguing back and forth with herself, as they walked on. Martouf seemed content to walk in silence, or perhaps he was talking to Lantash. Sam wondered if they were talking about her, then felt embarrassed at being so self-centered. She looked at Martouf again, then took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Martouf?"

He looked up. "Yes, Samantha?"

She swallowed. "On Revanna...Lantash...when you were in Elliot and we were stranded in the collapsed tunnels...I was trying to dig us out..."

Martouf bowed his head, giving Lantash control. He looked up. "Yes?" He studied her with a tense expression, obviously aware of where she was going with this, but not prepared to help her. It had hurt that she had been so casual and dismissive when she had learned of his feelings.

"I'm sorry...about how I behaved. I was freaked out by it all...and we were under attack...stranded...you and your host dying. Martouf was dead - or so I thought. I...I wasn't ready to...to accept what I felt. When I learned you love me - I mean, that's what Elliot said, I don't know, he could have misunderstood you, or..."

"He did not. I love you. As does Martouf," Lantash stated, matter of factly.

Sam blushed and just gaped at him for a moment. She had not expected him to say _that_! "You do? I love you, too!" She blurted out, immediately feeling like kicking herself.

Suddenly, she heard the ominous rustling of the leaves again, very close this time, and there was a movement, lightening fast. Lantash had been standing with his back to a large mass of plants. Sam watched in horror as what looked like a large, slim tree _moved_ closer and two of its long, sinewy branches lashed out and _grabbed_ Lantash, coiling closely around him like large snakes, and pulling him towards the trunk. He fought helplessly against them, but could not free himself. Another branch...or _tentacle_, came down from the tree's foliage and stung Lantash, making him cry out.

Terrified, Sam activated her zat'nik'tel and aimed it at the tree, but realised she would not be able to shoot it without affecting Lantash and Martouf as well. Would one shot even harm the tree? She could not fire more than once - that might kill Martouf and Lantash. She had a quick flash-back to the day when she had shot them as zatarcs.

She could not risk losing them, not again! Desperate, she ran to the tree, and began pulling at the vines keeping Lantash confined.

"Don't worry, I'll save you!"

Sam could not move the branches at all, and Lantash had a strange, far-away look in his eyes. The vines tightened around him, and Sam pulled out one of the fairly large knives they had stolen from the kitchen. She began sawing into the tentacle, trying to either cut it off or at least make the tree let go.

The bark was thin but very strong, and she could barely make a mark in it. She kept slashing at it, and was getting very frustrated, when all of a sudden the tree released Lantash. He sank to the ground beside her, moaning softly.

"Lantash!" Sam fell to her knees and was about to examine him, when something made her look up. The tentacles had noiselessly moved closer, and they - and the one that had stung Lantash - were hovering just beside Sam, ready to wrap around her before injecting her with whatever it was it used. She threw herself to the ground and pulled out her zat'nik'tel, activating it and firing quickly at the tree. The tendrils all withdrew, and Sam grabbed Lantash, trying to pull him to safety as quickly as possible.

"Sho...ot it...again." He stammered. "It'll...come for us...sentient..." He lost consciousness.

Not waiting to reflect whether or not it made sense the tree was sentient, Sam quickly shot it two more times, vaporizing it.

She looked around her, trying to determine if there were any more of the hostile plants. When she could not detect any, she put away the weapons and kneeled beside Lantash. She quickly checked him out. He had a nasty mark, almost as from fangs on his shoulder, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

Sam sat back, realising her hands were still shaking from the shock. She took a few calming breaths, then got up, intent on finding the safest way out of there. It was very likely there were more of the trees - she had, after all, heard them moving since sometime last night.

Lantash made a sound and moved a little, and she hurried back to him. He tried to sit up and she helped him.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"I will be in a moment. It injected me with some kind of poison, which partially paralyzed me, but I am neutralizing its effect. We will be well again in a moment." He looked around, then seemed to relax when he did not spot the tree.

"Just take it easy for a few minutes. We're safe, at least for now. I shot the damned thing. Vaporized it."

Lantash nodded. "Good." He was quiet for several minutes, before giving control to Martouf, who looked up at Sam.

"Lantash is continuing to negate the toxin. If you are sure we are safe here, then it would be best if we could remain here for a while."

"I'm sure." Sam said, unconsciously touching her zat'nik'tel.

"Samantha...the plant was sentient - and definitely a hostile entity."

"_Sentient_? What did it want?"

"To eat us. It communicated with us, telepathically...or more correctly, it was going through our minds, looking for information. From what we understood, it learned the Jaffa was following us, and that pleased it. More food." He took a deep breath. "What we saw was really just...images. Very confusing images. It is very alien to us. Very different."

"I understand. It's amazing it could communicate with you at all. A sentient plant!"

Martouf nodded, tiredly. "I suppose, all though I can't say that I'm pleased about this. The small glimpse into its mind was...unpleasant. Very different from the mind of a human or a symbiote. _Terrifying_."

Sam gave his arm a sympathetic squeeze. "I understand. I'm not thrilled at the thought of a forest full of man-eating _plants_, either. _Sentient_, man-eating plants!"

"I am feeling much better now. Lantash says he has neutralized the paralysis completely." Martouf began to get up. "We should leave."

"I agree. I don't feel like hanging around waiting for the tree's angry friends and relatives to show up!" Sam laughed, a little nervously.

* * *

><p>They had walked for maybe half an hour, Martouf reassuring Sam that he and Lantash were both all right, and that the poison was not affecting them any more.<p>

Now and then they heard the particular rustling of leaves these trees made, but none of them were close. They hurried on, very much on guard.

"Is it me, or are the sounds of those accursed plants coming closer?" Sam wondered.

"It is not you. They _are_ coming closer, and there are more of them as well," Martouf answered, concerned.

"I know how crazy this sounds...but do you think that tree back there could have, you know..._communicated_ to the others about us?"

"Normally I would find the idea ludicrous, but...yes, the same thought has appeared to Lantash and me. We very much fear they can communicate telepathically with each other, as well."

"I guess it makes sense...or as much sense as anything involving moving, telepathic, carnivorous, _poisonous_ plants _can_ make sense!"

"Moving..." Martouf repeated the word. "Do you think they can - ah - move themselves around? I mean, not just move those tentacles, but _actually walk_?" He stopped and looked around.

"God! I hope not!" Sam sounded horrified. "If that's the case, then we're _really_ screwed!" She stopped walking as well.

"We better be prepared..." Martouf began putting on his hand device also, which was made more difficult by him insisting on holding the zat'nik'tel at the same time.

Sam looked at him, for a moment just staring at his clumsy attempt at putting on the ribbon device. He was not normally this helpless, but perhaps he was still affected by the poison?

She was about to say something - or offer to hold his zat'nik'tel, when they heard noises just behind them.

Turning, they saw several of the trees on the path where they had just been walking a moment ago.

"Well, that answers that! They _can_ walk!" Sam exclaimed, disbelieving.

She quickly raised her zat'nik'tel and fired against the nearest tree. It paused for a moment, then kept walking towards her, slowly but surely.

Martouf had been staring in shock at the scenario, but now also fired at them. He hit one as well, and this time the reaction was even less. The tree barely slowed down at all.

It soon became apparent that even two shots did not harm the plants. Their nervous systems were obviously too different from the vertebrate ones the weapons had been designed to affect. Three shots still disintegrated them, of course, but there were a great many of the trees and it took time to hit them thrice each - time during which the trees kept coming closer, now from all directions.

Sam and Martouf had disintegrated maybe ten of the plants, but there were more than twice as many left and more kept coming. Suddenly - just as she was certain this was the end - the trees stopped. Before their surprised eyes, their enemies melted back into the forest, and except for a faint rustling of leaves, all was quiet.

For a few moments they just stood there, dumb-founded and very relieved, hardly daring to believe they were safe. For now, at least.

"It would seem they decided we were too costly to catch..." Martouf said.

Sam nodded. "Yes...well we better get away before they change their mind. There's no telling how many of those damned things there are in this forest."

"It's no wonder the Jaffa have not followed us in here," Martouf remarked. "They probably knew about the trees."

"Probably..." Sam sighed. "We're not yet half-way through this accursed forest - there's likely to be as many of those trees ahead of us as there are behind us, if not more. We can't go back. If the trees don't get us, the Jaffa will. Continuing on is no better. Sooner or later we'll have to rest. Even if one of us stands guard, that's probably not enough to defend against an attack - and _I_ can't tell the difference between the murderous plants and the normal ones!"

"Neither can Lantash or I." Martouf looked unhappy. "We need to find a more efficient way of killing them."

Out of options, they decided to continue on in the direction they had been going - hoping they would find some way of defending themselves, or at least a safe place to hide.

* * *

><p>The trees did not attack again, but they kept hearing a faint rustling. Either they were being followed, or the trees were spread out all over the forest. One thing was clear - the trees could both move around and communicate with each other, and they seemed to have informed all of their kind about the presence of delicious food in their territory.<p>

"Those plants were probably made by Zipacna's scientists and put here," Martouf suddenly said.

Sam pondered this for a moment. It did not really seem likely, but on the other hand, it _was_ possible. "Perhaps." She agreed.

"He must have done it just to complicate our escape, cursed, _sneaky_ Goa'uld that he is!"

She looked at Martouf, surprised. "Eh...I don't think so, Martouf. Or...you don't mean to make life difficult for _us_ particularly, do you? You mean to make it harder for his prisoners in general to escape?"

"No, this is a personal attack against Lantash and me! And you - because of what Jolinar did to him!"

"Martouf - I can't remember it clearly, but I do have a very strong feeling that these trees were here already when Jolinar was undercover with Zipacna. Certainly that there was a danger in these forests, and I can't believe it's a different danger." Sam looked at Martouf with some concern. He was not usually paranoid, and this was leaning towards crazy. "Besides, don't you think it'd have taken Zipacna more than a couple days to engineer these trees - _and_ grow them to full size!"

Martouf bowed his head and gave Lantash control.

"Zipacna anticipated this, of course! It was the reason for the attack on Revanna! To capture us!" Lantash spat angrily.

Sam groaned softly. He was obviously losing it - well, both of them were, clearly. Could it be an aftereffect of the poison? He was obviously not receptive to reason. She decided to try something else. "Lantash...could you check out Martouf and yourself for any further effects of the poison? Who knows what Zipacna might have put into it. Perhaps it's very insidious and still affecting you...in ways you didn't notice before."

"That would be just like him! However, I'm sure I have negated all the harmful effects, or are you implying I am not taking care of my host?" His expression changed from anger, to arrogance, and back to anger.

She took a deep breath. "Of course not, I know you're one of the _best_ of the Tok'ra at filtering out stuff...however, couldn't you check again anyway...more thoroughly? For me? Because...because I'm really worried for you." Sam said, looking at him with an imploring expression.

Lantash smiled widely, obviously pleased she was concerned for him. He stopped and took her hand, stroking it gently. "I will do so. I do not wish you to be worried for me, my Samantha."

She felt like rolling her eyes at his reaction - though it was exactly what she had hoped for.

A few moments passed. "Well?" She asked.

"There is some small, lingering effect on our systems, though I cannot precisely determine what it is. Worse, I cannot seem to counteract it. The remaining poison seems to resist my attempts at filtering it or neutralizing it." Lantash frowned. "It is disquieting. However, I believe it will break down on its own, and in any case it does not seem to be anything I cannot easily compensate for in the meantime, now when I know of it. You do not have to be concerned."

Sam nodded slowly, not truly convinced. "Good...listen, if you are feeling all right, we should probably leave. The sounds from those trees are increasing."


	7. Hallucinations

Several more hours had passed, and the sun was beginning to set. Sam was feeling quite worried at the prospect of spending another night in this forest. She did not know if the trees only attacked during daytime, but she could not really see any reason why that would be the case. That meant they would either have to stay awake and on guard the whole night, or gamble one would be enough to defend against the trees and take turns sleeping.

She did not feel confident either of them could fight back the trees alone, and there was another problem as well. Martouf and Lantash were clearly still affected by the poison from the attack, though they claimed they were okay. The effects of the poison came and went. Periods of lucidity seemed interspersed with times of hallucinations, during which they - Lantash in particular - were paranoid and irritable. He had shot several normal trees, as well as one small deer which he had seemed to think was a Jaffa in disguise.

At least they had more food now, Sam reflected. She had insisted on cutting up the deer and bringing as much as they could carry. She hoped to be able to roast the meat before it went bad. Lantash had agreed, eventually, after long insisting it was a Jaffa and being horrified at her wanting to eat it. He was embarrassed when the hallucinations lifted, he got a good look at it, and had to admit it was indeed a deer.

One good thing came of it; he had to admit he could not control the effects of the poison, though both he and Martouf always had a somewhat foggy memory of the times during which they hallucinated. Lantash _did_ remember he had yelled at Sam, and been angry at her, when he thought the deer was a Jaffa. It caused him some anguish, and he apologized profusely.

Sam sighed. That damn poison was potent! It was still affecting them now, many hours later. Worse, its effects seemed to be increasing, not diminishing. There was nothing to do except continue walking - and hoping the poison would burn itself out. She was not feeling confident it would happen soon enough.

The path was better now, and clearly used more. It was not an animal trail, so _someone_ must be traveling in this forest. Sam idly wondered how they avoided the murderous trees. It was quite dark now, and the light from whatever moons and stars were shining had a hard time penetrating to the bottom of the forest.

They were getting very tired, when suddenly the forest began to thin and they came out into a large clearing. The sky was almost black, but the largest of the moons was shining and cast a silvery sheen over the place. The clearing was maybe 150 feet across, and almost as wide. It was covered with grass and several bushes, as well as a few small trees. In the middle stood a fairly large hut.

Sam felt weak with relief. She pointed at the shadowy building. "Let's see if we can stay there tonight. I'm guessing it'll keep the trees out."

Martouf nodded. "It sounds like a good idea, but...what if the inhabitants are conspiring with the trees? Or are Goa'uld?"

"I very much doubt either is the case." Sam rolled her eyes, then grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "Come."

"My sweet, _forceful_ Samantha..." Martouf _giggled_. "Beloved...I will follow you _anywhere_."

She felt extremely grateful for the hut - it was more than obvious the poison was affecting both Martouf and Lantash to the point were they could not even take care of themselves!

They got to the door of the hut. There were no sounds or light, and somehow it felt abandoned. Sam knocked and waited for a moment. Nothing happened. She knocked harder. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

She turned around and looked towards the edge of the forest, in the direction they had arrived from. She was certain she saw movement - and she thought she could hear the trees.

"I don't think any one is home, beloved," Martouf observed. "I love you." He smiled. "Have I told you? Lantash says to tell you he loves you too."

"Yeah, I think I got that earlier." She hammered at the door, frustrated and getting more worried by the moment.

"You do not love us," Martouf sounded sullen. "You wish that tree had eaten us."

Sam turned to him. "Martouf, that's just not true! I saved you, remember? Listen, we _really_ need to find a place to hide, so can we talk later?" When he did not answer, she shook her head and turned towards the door again, grabbing the handle and trying to open the door. It did not budge. "Locked. That figures..." She tried again.

"We're doomed. The accursed trees will get us. Who cares. The woman we love does not love us." Lantash said, morosely. He had apparently taken control while Sam tried to open the door.

She was fast getting very tired of his changing moods and hallucinations. She reminded herself he was not to blame - it was the poison making him behave that way. She felt a stab of guilt and compassion for him. She really wanted to hug him to her and tell him she loved him, but now was not the time, not if they wanted to live. She gave his arm a quick squeeze.

"I'll just walk 'round the house and see if there's any other way to get in. You _stay_ here. Okay? And keep an eye on the treeline - yell if _something_ comes closer."

He nodded, but did not answer. Sam threw him a concerned look, as he leaned against the door and slid down to sit on the reed mat that was lying before the entrance.

* * *

><p>"Nothing. Everything is closed up tightly - no way in." Sam pulled out the zat'nik'tel as she turned the corner and walked towards where Martouf had been sitting. It was really dark there, and she could not see him. "I had <em>really<em> hoped to avoid using the zat to vaporize the door, but it seems we've got no choice. We'll just have to see if we can find something to barricade..." She gaped and just stared at the open door. "Martouf?"

"Here." He came out from the small hut. "I found the key under the mat, just a moment ago." He smiled, a little embarrassed. "I am sorry about my behaviour earlier."

"Don't worry about it - it's not your fault." Sam smiled, relieved that he seemed lucid. "Well, let's get inside, then!"

They picked up their bags and went inside, making sure to lock the door securely after them. The trees had not come closer, but that did not mean they would not do so later.

They made a quick overview of the place, checking out the rooms and cupboards. It was a fairly large hut.

"The place seems like it is quite defensible - and there is even a room with a water pump!" Sam exclaimed, happily.

"It makes sense to have it inside - it would not be safe to venture outside for water." Martouf said, opening the cupboards one at a time. They contained pots, pans, plates, and other utensils for use in a kitchen.

"I wonder who lives here? The place looks well kept, and it doesn't seem as if it's been very long since someone was here."

"A couple months, I would say." Martouf ran a finger over the dust on the table. "But I agree. Lantash thinks it may be sheepherders or hunters who use this place periodically."

"Sounds likely." Sam nodded.

They opened the door to a room at the back of the kitchen. It led down narrow stairs into a small room with walls covered by shelves on all sides. The place was full of various kinds of dry food stuffs, as well as ceramic jars with preserved food. From the roof hung some dried meat and a few sausages, and on the floor stood boxes with fruit, and various roots and tubers.

"We should be able to survive here for quite some time. Long enough for the effects of the poison to wear off," Martouf concluded.

"Perhaps by then the owners will have come by, and shown us how to get to the Stargate without becoming lunch to the local _flora_," Sam added, hopefully.

"Yes." Martouf nodded. "If only Zipacna does not decide we are worth sending his Jaffa into the woods for us, then it looks as if we will be fine."

"Martouf..." Sam gave him a concerned look.

"Don't worry, Samantha, I am not having an...an _episode_." He looked embarrassed. "It is not paranoia, just the very real risk of a vengeful Goa'uld deciding the lives of his Jaffa are his to throw away."

Sam sighed. "You're right. I do remember from Jolinar that Zipacna has that...quirk. Well, we won't starve, at least - and we have that deer meat also, which we had better roast or cook, or something."

They went back up to the kitchen, and built a fire in the oven. While it got ready for the meat, Sam and Martouf explored the rest of the hut. It had a small bedroom, two other small rooms, and a larger room that functioned as a kind of combined living room and dining room. There was even a washing room and a small composting toilet which was accessible from the inside. The latter had ventilation, which should keep it from smelling badly. Sam had to admit she was impressed with the inventiveness of these people, though the hungry plants waiting outside would probably have been a great motivator to get everything inside.

Each room had a small window, but only two of them were glazed, and they were each put together by several smaller glass panes. The others windows were covered by latticework, pasted over by some kind of thin animal hide, letting in the light despite not being transparent. Shutters covered all the windows, probably as protection against the trees as much as the elements.

Sam yawned mightily. It was getting very late, and they had not slept much the night before.

"You should rest. I will take first watch," Martouf said.

"Ah...no, I'm fine. I just need to sit down for a moment. You rest."

"Samantha, Lantash and I are fine right now. We will wake you if we feel we are beginning to become...confused."

"You won't know what's happening until it's too late, though," Sam pointed out.

Martouf sighed. "Perhaps not," he agreed. "But you can sleep for a few hours, at least. I promise you we will not do anything dangerous, like opening the door...and I doubt very much those trees are able to get in here, however smart they are."

Sam considered this. Martouf - and Lantash in particular - had become prone to paranoia each of the times the effect of the poison overtook them. They would almost certainly not risk letting the plants in. She finally nodded, reluctantly. "Okay. I'll just throw that deer meat in the oven, then I'll take a nap."

"I will take care of the meat. Go to sleep, Samantha. You need it more than I. Lantash increases my stamina and will keep both of us awake and alert until you are rested."

* * *

><p>Sam woke up when the sun shone through the window to the bedroom. She had not thought to pull the curtain the evening before, not having expected to sleep for more than a few hours, at most. Suddenly afraid of what might have happened to Martouf, she jumped up and ran to find out.<p>

"Martouf? Lantash?"

She got no answer and quickly checked the rooms of the hut. She found Martouf sleeping on the floor in the kitchen, half-sitting against the - still closed - door out. She felt a wave of relief that he was safe.

He had clearly finished cooking the deer meat before he fell asleep, because the oven was no longer hot, which was reassuring. A log-fired oven might well have burned down the house if it was not kept under observation. Sam decided Martouf and Lantash probably needed the rest, and tip-toed out of the kitchen.

She went into the washing room and filled the huge cauldron there with water, then lit a fire under it. She stood there looking at it for a moment, then sighed and left to see if there were any clean clothing somewhere in the house. This was certainly a time when she missed her own bathroom, with all the warm water she could wish for, readily available. A hot shower would be wonderful right now, or - a slow bath in one of the Tok'ra pools. She thought back to one of the few times she had tried them, and remembered the wonderful feeling of sitting in the hot, fragrant water.

Suddenly, she had a memory flash, experiencing Rosha and Jolinar bathing in a pool, just returned after a long mission. They had been relaxing in the water and Martouf and Lantash had joined them in the bath, lovingly washing them, ecstatically happy to have their beloveds home again. Of course, one thing had led to another and the scene soon turned intensely erotic.

Sam blushed as she remembered the passionate mating that had followed. She always felt a little guilty - and often jealous - to have these glimpses into the intimate moments of the lives of Martouf/Lantash and Rosha/Jolinar.

* * *

><p>Sam had finished washing, and had dressed in some clothing she had found in a closet. It was a plain, white dress, made of linen. It actually fit her surprisingly well, which was lucky. She reflected that the people who owned this place could as well have been half or twice her size. She had also found men's clothing, which looked as if it would fit Martouf. Sam hoped the owners would not become too angry when they showed up, but perhaps they could come back and pay them?<p>

"You look very beautiful, Samantha."

She turned around to see Martouf standing in the door to the living room, smiling at her. He looked much better than he had last night.

Sam smiled back at him. "Thanks. I found some clean clothes for you, too." She pointed at the pile on the table. "And there's still hot water in the washing room, if you want to freshen up."

"That sounds very nice." He touched his chin, rubbing his hand against the stubble that was almost a beard. "Did you notice if there were any shaving utensils?"

Sam thought about it for a moment. "Yes...actually, I noticed some in a small cupboard in the washing room, so you should be able to shave." She looked at him, shaking her head a little.

"What is it?"

"I've just never seen you with a beard, and I had thought about it earlier. Actually, I've never seen _any_ Tok'ra with a beard."

"There are some who have them, but most do not. They are unpopular among most of the Goa'uld, though there are some who make a statement by being different. To be honest, I do not know why it is so, but it also means it is rare among the Tok'ra, since we would not want to call attention to ourselves, while undercover. Also, Jolinar preferred me without a beard - saying I looked, ah, _cuter_." He blushed. "In any case, a symbiote can easily control hair growth, and I have never had to shave while being Lantash's host. This is from the period when I was alone." He looked pained as he touched the beard, clearly not enjoying the memory. "It is a reminder I do not want, and I would like to be rid of it as quickly as possible."

"I can well understand." Sam gave him a sympathetic look.

He rubbed the side of his neck. "Samantha, Lantash and I apologize for falling asleep. We _did_ intend to wake you, but..." He looked embarrassed. "We do not remember precisely, but we have a vague recollection of coming to the decision that sitting against the door would keep out the trees. No, we are aware it does not make sense."

"Don't worry about it." She walked up to him and looked at him with concern as he touched his neck again. "Are you in pain?"

"Sleeping in the position we did is not advisable." He gave her a wry smile. "We are a little sore, but it will pass quickly. Lantash is taking care of it."

"Okay, go get washed - and shaved. I will see if I can make us some breakfast."

* * *

><p>"This place seems to have almost everything needed for us to survive for more than a month without going outside." Sam observed. "Everything except enough firewood. I believe I saw some in a shed behind the house when I was looking for a way inside, yesterday."<p>

"We should carry as much inside as we can. We could perhaps stack it in one of the two small rooms."

"Yes...I guess we've already screwed around with this place enough that we'll have to compensate the owners in some way, so carrying the firewood inside is not a bad idea."

"The Tok'ra will compensate them for any loss."

"OK, then." Sam looked out the window. "Well, I guess there's no time like the present. At least we'll be able to see any attacking trees during daytime."

"True."

They opened the door and carefully peered outside before stepping out. Martouf was wearing the hand device, as well as carrying a zat'nik'tel, and Sam had a zat'nik'tel and a knife. They stayed close to the door for several minutes before moving.

"Well, all seems quiet," Sam said.

Very much on alert, they walked around the house to the shed Sam had spotted the evening before. It was indeed full of dry firewood, and they began carrying armfuls of it inside, taking turns to be the one carrying and the one guarding.

Almost an hour passed by, and they had gotten enough inside to last them for several weeks, unless it suddenly became extremely cold, and the season did not seem to indicate that could happen anytime soon.

"Samantha..." Martouf pointed to the edge of the forest. "I saw something moving over there."

They stood still for a few moments, then Sam noticed it as well. There was definitely movement there. "It's those damn trees!" Sam groaned.

"Why are they not coming closer?" He looked around in the other directions, frowning. "They are everywhere around us, though..."

"Yes, we're surrounded, but you're right - they're staying where they are. I wonder why?"

"Perhaps they are waiting for something? Sundown, perhaps - or even more of their kind."

"That may be, though I don't see why they would want _more_ to come. Surely they know it's only you and me in here, not...oh, what do I know...a big feast?" Sam sighed. "No, there must be some other reason. Could they be afraid because they know we'll kill a lot of them if they try?"

"That's a possibility," Martouf agreed.

"Wait..." Sam stared at the ground. It looked different from that in the rest of the forest. "What if it's the soil? Maybe there's something in it they don't like?" She kneeled and picked up a handful, letting it sift through her fingers. "There's _ash_ in it, I think."

"Ash? That would make the soil alkaline. Perhaps the trees dislike this?" Martouf suggested.

"It would make sense - why else spread it over this area?" Sam looked somewhat enthusiastic, hopeful even. "Perhaps we're safe from the trees as long as we stay here!"

They returned to the hut, intending to keep an eye on the trees, in order to be able to tell if they really did not want to - or could not - walk on the soil around the building.


	8. Uncontrollable Emotions

"You wanna take first watch or shall I?" Sam asked, cutting off slices of bread to eat with some of the deer meat. They had just under one loaf left, then they would have to bake some from the flour they had found.

Martouf had mixed flour and warm water in a jar, then put it aside, saying they should 'feed it' more flour and tepid water every day for about a week, maybe less, since he had added a little honey which apparently was supposed to make the sourdough develop faster. It could then be used instead of yeast. Sam remembered her grandmother having had a jar of a slightly disgusting stuff, which she praised as 'Aunt Johanna's sourdough'.

"Watch?" Martouf wondered, putting down the sandwich he had just made out of bread and meat. "What should we watch?"

Sam almost groaned. "The trees, of course!"

Martouf looked at her, confused. He took a bite of the sandwich and slowly chewed it, either thinking her statement over, or discussing it with Lantash. He took another bite, then followed it with a large drink of water. His expression cleared. "Ah. _Those_ trees. Yeah, we should watch them." He suddenly got a scared expression. "The _trees_! No one is watching them! They'll get us!" He scrambled for his zat'nik'tel - then the hand device lying nearby.

Sam intercepted him, grabbing the hand device and putting a hand on his arm. "I think it's my turn to guard against the trees. You should get something to eat." She got up and was about to leave the room.

"_Samantha_! Don't leave me!" Martouf begged.

"Martouf...I'm not leaving you. I'm just going to go keep an eye on those trees, remember?"

"Of course I remember! Why would I not?" He looked insulted. "Wait, you need to open the windows to do that, right?"

"Yes, those that don't have glass panes. I can't see through animal hide." She smiled reassuringly. "I will be careful. Don't worry."

He nodded, and eventually returned to his sandwich.

* * *

><p>"I've checked in all directions. The trees are still out there, flocking around the edge of this<br>clearing, but they haven't come any closer." She smiled, sitting down to grab the food she had not had time to eat before. "I think we're good."

"You are very good, I am sure." Lantash smiled, a look of worship - and lust - in his eyes. "And so very, very beautiful. Samantha, I love you so much!"

"Eh, thanks, Lantash." She smiled, awkwardly, not certain how to react.

"Do you think you can ever come to feel anything for me, or do I disgust you?" Lantash asked, looking heart-broken. "I will agree to never take control whenever you are with Martouf, if that will make you accept him, but I will _not_ leave him. He does not wish it, and neither do I."

"_Lantash_! I...I would _never_ consider a relationship with Martouf, if I did not also want you. Of _course_, you don't disgust me! You're...you're a sweet and wonderful person."

"I thought...in the tunnels, _before_, when you...you saw my natural form. I thought...maybe that was why you barely reacted when Elliot told you of my feelings for you." He looked at her, tears in his eyes. "He told you the truth. I _do_ love you - as much as I loved Jolinar...and so does Martouf."

This declaration of love was _not_ something Sam had expected, not at a time like this - nor did she know how to react. Part of her screamed at her that this was the time to tell them of her feelings - last time she had worked up the courage, that damn plant had attacked them just as she was telling him. Clearly, he had not heard her then.

"Lantash..." She swallowed. "I am very flattered, and..."

"And you don't feel anything for me - for either of us. I'm an idiot for thinking you might." Lantash swiped the tears from his eyes, looking at her angrily. "How _dare_ you break our hearts? Mine...well, I can accept that, but you will _not_ cause Martouf pain! Don't you realise how fragile he is? After losing Rosha, and Jolinar, and...and..." He got up from the table and stormed out of the room. She heard the door to the outside slam after them moments later.

Damn! Why did he not wait until she had time to tell him how she felt? She felt like kicking herself. Why had she not just told him immediately, instead of trying to find a better way of telling him? Instead of being afraid to tell him? Now he thought she hated him, and he was out there, with the..._trees_! Oh, no.

She looked at the table. Both zat'nik'tels and the hand device was lying there. So he did not even bring a weapon! She snatched one of the zat'nik'tels and ran after him, as fast as she could.

"Lantash!" She called out, frantically looking in all directions for him. She spotted him almost at the edge of the clearing, running towards the trees. "Stop!" She ran towards him.

He halted in his steps and turned towards her. "I am doing what is best. There will be more food for you if the trees eat me and Martouf, and you will not have to concern yourself with us. We both agree. You do not love us - and this will end our pain."

"Don't be ridiculous! I never said I didn't love you! I _do_ love you, both of you!" Sam cried, desperately.

"You do?" Lantash took a few steps towards her. "Martouf thinks you are only saying you love us, so that we will not allow the trees eat us."

"That is not true! Besides, if I didn't care about you, why would I care if the trees got you?"

"True." Lantash looked thoughtful. "I do not believe it would be because you enjoy watching us suffer, and you are strong enough to survive here on your own, until the owners of the hut return..."

Sam had reached him by now, and she grabbed a firm hold of his arm, dragging him towards the hut. He followed, not putting up a fight, but not saying anything either. She really hoped that poison stopped working in him soon, because she was not sure how much more of this she could take.

She got them inside the house again, and locked and bolted the door after them, taking the key and putting it in her pocket. She then took his zat'nik'tel and hand device, and went into the bed room, hiding them there. She considered taking the knives as well, but there were knives in the kitchen which were needed, and she could not hide all weapons from him. She would just have to do her best to convince him not to try to kill himself.

Meanwhile, Lantash sat down by the kitchen table again, slowly munching on the rest of his food. Sam joined him a few moments later.

He looked up, a look of anguish on his face. "I am sorry for my behaviour, Samantha. The poison got the better of me - of both of us - again. I apologize for failing both you and Martouf."

"Don't worry about it, Lantash. It's not your fault." She felt relieved. Despite the anguish, he seemed to be himself again. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Some of it. I tried to kill myself and Martouf by letting the trees eat us." He looked shameful. "I promise you, it will not happen again."

"I'm glad to hear that. You gave me quiet a scare." She smiled at him, putting her hand on his and squeezing it gently.

* * *

><p>"Jacob - welcome back. Did you find out anything new?" Hammond greeted his friend.<p>

"Nothing new about Sam, except that Zipacna still hasn't caught anyone. Unfortunately, Ren'al was killed during the attack on Revanna, but some of the members of her team survived, and they admitted they kept Martouf's body in stasis, in case they wanted to do any further examinations, after it was decided nothing further would probably be learned."

"Don't you have any kind of funeral rites for the former hosts?" Daniel asked, having just come into the gateroom together with O'Neill and Teal'c.

"We do." Jacob nodded. "The body is covered with a blanket and placed on a platform in front of a Stargate, which is then activated. The unstable wormhole destroys the remains. However, the Tok'ra don't have any kind of 'viewing' of the corpse - it remains covered during the entire ceremony."

"So no one saw if there even _was_ a body? They could just have placed a doll or something on the platform, and no one would have been the wiser?"

"True," Jacob admitted.

"That's...some deception there." Daniel looked shocked.

"Just what you'd expect from the treasonous snakes!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"It does seem a dishonest - and degrading - thing to do." Hammond said.

Jacob bowed his head, giving Selmak control.

"I agree, but you must not think this was sanctioned by the Council, nor that a majority of the Tok'ra agreed with it. Only Ren'al, her team - and Delek - knew. A few of the others may agree with their reasoning, but most find it shocking anyone would do something like this, despite the situation we are in. Martouf and Lantash were well liked, and many have been grieving their loss." Selmak sighed. "We learned something else, which is even more disturbing than this deception, something which it shames me having to admit any Tok'ra could do."

"Must be bad if you're telling us...not that anything would surprise me..." O'Neill mumbled, and Daniel elbowed him to keep him quiet.

Selmak looked at him, her expression stern. "It is, but despite your dislike for our kind, this is not something acceptable to the Tok'ra. It is, in fact, against everything we believe in."

"What did you learn?" Hammond asked.

Jacob took over control, apparently feeling the reaction towards him, in response to what he was about to say, would not be as severe as towards Selmak, if she were the one to tell them.

"Ren'al, and the group of scientists working with her, informed the Council that Martouf was more severely injured than he was, and that the probability of Lantash healing him was remote. They also told us Lantash was badly wounded. This, combined with the need to examine the brain of someone who had been programmed as a zatarc - and the recent loss of Tok'ra lives - meant the Council agreed on something they would normally not. Lantash was to be removed from Martouf, instead of letting him try to heal them both, and then Lantash should be allowed to recover in a healing chamber, if possible, while Martouf should be examined for possible clues about the brainwashing."

Daniel frowned. "Yes?"

"It was not an easy decision, and it dragged out for many months, before the decision was made. From Si'thakka, one of the scientists in Ren'al's group, we learned that some information was kept from us...and some was exaggerated, at the very least. Martouf was not so badly wounded that Lantash would not have been able to heal him, and Lantash himself was barely injured at all."

"They lied," Teal'c concluded.

"But, Lantash was still weak from his injuries when he took Elliot as his host, so how could that be, then?" Daniel wondered.

Jacob took a deep breath. "He sustained the majority of his injuries when they removed him from Martouf - because he fought them, rather passionately. He did _not_ want to leave him. I think the only reason they succeeded at all, was because he did not wish to risk further aggravating Martouf's injuries." He rubbed his forehead. "Removing a symbiote from a willing host - when the symbiote does not wish to leave, and the host will probably die without him...it is an unforgivable crime."

"Yet they did it," O'Neill pointed out, though there was no sarcasm in his voice this time.

"They did, and those who are not dead will be punished severely for it. Steps will be taken to assure that it cannot happen again, no matter the situation, and no matter how badly someone feels it is needed in order to achieve some goal. It is pure luck that both Martouf and Lantash were brought back to life - and are together again. Now we must hope fate will let them - and Sam - escape Zipacna's clutches."

* * *

><p>Sam yawned as she came out from the washing room, wearing a nightgown she had found in a drawer in the bedroom. She vigorously rubbed her hair with a towel, trying to get it to dry quickly, so that she could get to bed. She was quite tired after everything that had happened that day - fetching firewood, guarding against murderous plants - and keeping an eye on Martouf and Lantash.<p>

They had not tried to kill themselves or do anything else stupid for the rest of the day, but they _had_ had two further 'episodes'. She had noticed that - unless they were angry or desolate - they had begun to become more..._amorous_.

If the situation had been different, she would have enjoyed their advances, but as it was, she felt it would be wrong to allow anything to develop between them. Later, certainly, if they made it out of here alive, but not while they were so obviously not themselves.

"Martouf - the washing room is vacant now, and there is plenty of warm water in the cauldron, if you want to clean up."

"Thank you, Samantha." He ogled her, letting his eyes run over her body. Her nightgown was relatively modest, but it still showed much more flesh than what she usually wore. "Are you sure you would not like to accompany us?"

"Thanks, I just washed." She smiled at him.

"Oh, but you are very welcome to help Lantash and me get clean. We would enjoy it if you would do so." His eyes shone, and he smiled mischievously.

"I think I'll pass. I'm really tired. Maybe another day." She turned to go to the bedroom, when Martouf suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

"You're not going to leave without giving me a kiss first, are you? My sweet Samantha..." Lantash said, having obviously taken over control from Martouf. He pressed her close to him and their lips met.

He kissed her slowly, and very thoroughly. When they finally broke for air, Sam was feeling light-headed and slightly dizzy. She discovered she had thrown her arms around him as well, and she enjoyed the feeling of his very hard erection pressing against her.

They were about to kiss again, when they both jumped from the sound of something scraping against the window in the room. Sam ran for her zat'nik'tel, and joined Lantash who had already reached the window, armed with a fire poker.

They gazed outside, but despite the moon light they saw nothing which could have made the sound. Then the scratching noise returned, and they saw what it was - a piece of thin rope, connected to the clothesline that ran from the side of the hut to a rod secured some distance away. The wind had picked up some, and it was fluttering, now and then hitting the window.

Relieved, they nonetheless took an extra look at what they could see from the window, but nothing moved outside except the wind - at least not close enough for them to see.

The window shutters could be closed from the inside, by an elaborate puller system, and they quickly did that - for all the windows. Why they had not done so earlier, Sam had no idea. That should prevent the trees from breaking in, even _if_ they decided to expose themselves to the alkaline soil.

"Well, go take your bath." Sam touched Lantash's shoulder. "I don't think we're in any danger."

"I agree," Lantash said. He gave her an embarrassed glance. He was lucid again, but he _did_ remember some of his behaviour. Well, Sam had not been angry at his forwardness - and she had not pushed him away when he had kissed her.

Relieved - and pleased, he went to wash and prepare for bed.


	9. Happier Times

This chapter has some relatively mild sexual content. To read the full version, go to http : / / tokra . fandomnet . com / viewstory . php ? sid = 140 & chapter = 9 (remove the spaces)

* * *

><p>Sam had managed to convince Martouf and Lantash that it was best they slept in the large bed in the main bedroom, instead of in a bed in one the two small rooms. She did not feel safe with him in another room. What if he woke up and was hallucinating - and did something stupid before she could stop him? If he slept in the same bed as her, she would wake up if he did, she was certain, and would be able to stop him. She had a zat'nik'tel on the floor beside the bed, and all other weapons were hidden, so he could not easily harm himself - or charge outside to attack the trees.<p>

Of course, she could not tell him this outright without hurting his feeling, so she had pointed out that it was safer for them to be together, if the trees tried anything, and besides, it was warmer.

At first, he did not want to share the bed with her because he was afraid that he would begin hallucinating again, and, perhaps, ravish her, as he had said.

After assuring him she trusted him, and after repeating her other arguments, he had agreed. She suspected he knew her real reasoning, and feared that she was right, but none of them mentioned it.

They had slept for maybe an hour or so, when Sam was awakened rather abruptly, by Martouf or Lantash pulling her to them.

"My sweet, _beautiful_ Samantha..." Lantash murmured. "Martouf and I love you so much." He searched for her mouth in the darkness and found it, kissing her deeply. "I look forward to pleasuring you..." He kissed her again, "and making you cry out in pleasure as I make you mine..."

Sam was surprised, but not unwilling. On the contrary, she felt a strong jolt of arousal. She wanted him, and had done so for a long time. She pushed any concerns aside, and embraced him.

She returned his kisses, licking his lips, sucking on them. He pushed his tongue against her mouth, and she parted her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues tangled, as Lantash's hand found one of Sam's breasts and began fondling it, making her moan low in her throat.

Lantash pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside, then dove in for another drugging kiss. He kissed her again and again, while his hands roamed Sam's back. He slid a hand up her side, finding a breast again and caressing it, rubbing and flicking the nipple until it was as hard as it could be, before repeating the treatment on the other.

Sam groaned and let her hands glide down his naked back, wishing there was some light in here so she could see him as well as feel him. She dipped a hand inside the top of his pajama pants, sliding it down to fondle his butt. Lantash gasped and moved his hands from her breasts, finding the hem of her nightgown and pulling it off her. Throwing it over his shoulder, he proceeded to pull his pants down and shrug out of them, before he pushed Sam down on the bed, pinning her under him.

She was intoxicating and he could not get enough of her. He kissed her desperately, leaving them both gasping for air when he finally let go. He could not remember ever having been this aroused before, and Martouf was urging him on as well, feeling as he did. Lantash ran his hands down Sam's body, enjoying her smooth, warm, _naked_ skin under his fingers.

He found her breasts again, savoring the feel of them without any clothing in the way. He caught one of her nipples between his lips, flicking his tongue over the hard point and making Sam moan and grind against him.

"Oh, god, Lantash...I need you..." She wanted him desperately, more than she had ever wanted anyone or anything. Why had they not gotten together before now? She was a fool, and she wanted to make up for the lost time, cherishing this second chance. She shrugged out of the last of her clothing and pulled on him, trying to get him as close as possible to her.

"Soon, my beloved...soon you will be mine. I love you so much..." he murmured, his voice hoarse, as he kissed and suckled at her neck.

Sam returned his kisses, touching him everywhere she could reach. She had often had erotic dreams about him, courtesy of Jolinar's memories, but now she would finally get some memories of her own to add to them.

She very quickly realised her loved ones were at least as wonderful in reality, as they were in her dreams...

* * *

><p>Sam woke slowly. Still groggy, she moved a little, turning over on her other side. She felt warm, naked skin against her, and suddenly remembered. Smiling, she opened her eyes and looked at the naked, sleeping man beside her. The sun must be pretty high in the sky, because despite the shutters, the room was light enough for her to see MartoufLantash. He was lying on his back, the blanket partially wrapped around him, leaving his chest mostly bare. She lay there for several moments, just looking at him. Thinking back to what they had done during the night, she felt a stab of desire.

She sighed softly. She wanted him again, but he was sleeping soundly, and truth be told, she was rather hungry - and she needed to use the bathroom. She carefully leaned in and gave Martouf/Lantash a soft kiss on the mouth. He made a small sound, but did not wake up. She smiled, then got out of bed, taking care not to wake him. She knew he had not slept well the night before - and the night before that neither of them had gotten more than a few hours of sleep.

Spotting her nightgown hanging on the edge of the closet, she smiled, her thoughts again going to their lovemaking and how eager Lantash had been. She sighed a little, hoping he would not be embarrassed over his behaviour when he woke up. She more than suspected he had been under the influence of the hallucinogen again. It had been making him amorous the last couple of times, something which she far preferred to the anguish, anger, and paranoia. She hoped it meant he was on the way to getting well.

She grabbed some clean clothes and snuck out the door, throwing one more look at Martouf/Lantash before she did so.

* * *

><p>Sam had washed and dressed. Looking at herself in the small mirror, she suddenly missed the far more daring clothing she had worn when dressed as one of the personal slaves of a Goa'uld. That was the only thing she missed from that place, though.<p>

She had just begun making breakfast, when she heard the door to the bedroom open again. She went to look through the doorway to the living room.

"Martouf?" She looked at him. He was only wearing his pyjama pants - either he had not been able to find the top, or he had not cared to put it on.

He turned to her, looking a little confused and groggy, but he smiled at her. "Samantha...I just need to use the facilities."

"There's warm water if you need it." She smiled widely at him. "And I'm making breakfast for us."

He nodded. "Thank you." He gave her another smile, looking a little awkward.

Sam returned to the food she was preparing, frowning. She had wanted to run to him and kiss him, but he had reacted rather strangely. Friendly, but she had hoped for more than _that_ after last night. Of course, she was fairly sure he had not been lucid, so perhaps he either did not remember, or regretted what had happened...

She had just finished preparing breakfast, when Martouf came into the kitchen, looking very ashamed. "Samantha. I need to apologize for my...my unforgivable behaviour last night. I..._forced_ myself on you."

"Martouf..." Sam began, wanting to reassure him.

He dipped his head, and Lantash took over.

"I am the one to blame, not Martouf. I should have been able to control my...my _urges_, but I was not. Worse, I cannot guarantee this will not happen again. This poison...I cannot seem to neutralize it. Every time I appear to have won, it returns. Samantha, there is no excuse for this behaviour, I..."

"_Lantash_. Stop!" Sam took his arm. "Listen to me."

"You are not safe with me!"

She took a deep breath. "Please, just listen. First; you were not yourself, you were being affected by something that acted as both a hallucinogen and an aphrodisiac, and so you are not to blame, even _if_ you had, ah, _forced_ yourself on me. Which you did not. I did not attempt to stop you. Not at all."

"I would not have stopped even if you had tried to stop me, and I am very strong. Samantha, I cannot remain here..."

"We do not know if you would have stopped. I think you would, but as I said, I did not _want_ you to stop. Besides, I had the zat, remember? I could have stopped you if I really wanted."

He looked at her, stunned. "You did not want me to stop?"

"No, my sweet, silly Lantash! Have you not been paying attention at all? I have told you, repeatedly, that I love you."

"I...did not really believe you. I thought, perhaps, I was hearing things - very pleasant things. Or that you might tell me what I wanted to hear, in order to stop me from, ah, doing stupid things." He blushed, making no attempt to stop the reaction.

Sam smiled at him, stroking his arm. "I really do love you, both of you...and I enjoyed what we did last night very much. I have wanted you for a very long time."

"Then you are not angry with me? I am afraid I was very rough on you." He suddenly looked concerned. "I hope I did not harm you, or cause you pain." He looked nervously at the parts of her not covered by clothing.

Sam sighed. "You didn't harm me. Tau'ri girls are stronger than that!" She got an idea - something that should convince him both that he did not 'ravish' her, and that she did indeed want him. "I'll show you." She quickly kicked off her sandals, opened her belt and stripped off her dress, enjoying Lantash's expression as she pulled off bra and panties and stood naked before him. "See? No bruises!" She slowly turned before him, making sure he got a good look at her body.

Lantash made a strangled sound, then grabbed her hands, pulling her close to him. "You are _teasing_ me, my Samantha. Tempting me with your luscious body...did you really expect I would be able to resist your guile?" He murmured into her ear.

"I was hoping you would not..." Sam smiled mischievously, just as Lantash pushed her up against the wall...

* * *

><p>When MartoufLantash could again think clearly, he pressed a kiss against her neck and smiled as he held her. She was a little unsteady on her legs, as was he. "You are _naughty_, do you know that?" He laughed. "But that is _just_ how I want you."

Sam smiled, turning in his embrace. "Then I take it you no longer fear you ravished me?"

"Oh, I _do_ think we ravished you - but I also think you were a very willing participant in that..." Martouf's eyes sparkled as he leaned in to kiss her again. "Now...Lantash and I are feeling ravenous - perhaps we should partake of that wonderful breakfast you have made...before retreating to the bed chamber to sate another hunger that is starting to burn again..."

Sam rolled her eyes at him, swatting him playfully. "You are _insatiable_...but both suggestions sound very good to me..."

* * *

><p>Another day passed. Martouf and Lantash still had bouts of the hallucinations and mood swings, but without the added stress of worrying about Sam's feelings for them, they did not go through the same anguish, and they did not try to run off to be eaten by the carnivorous plants.<p>

This was a great relief for Sam, though she was still very concerned for them. The periods where they hallucinated seemed to be growing shorter, and further between, but now and then she despaired of them ever being able to leave, even _if_ they found a way to avoid the trees. The Jaffa were out there as well, and if Martouf and Lantash had an episode while they were hiding or fighting the Jaffa, things could become very unpleasant.

However, all was not bad, and during the times when they were lucid she had to admit that she enjoyed being trapped here with them. She very much enjoyed their company, and she was falling even more in love with them. They were sweet and kind, good friends - and great lovers, both skilled and thoughtful. If only the murderous trees and the Jaffa were not out there, she might have looked upon this as a vacation.

The trees did not come closer, but neither did they leave. They were waiting, just at the edge of the clearing.


	10. They Are Not Gods

It was late afternoon of the next day. Martouf and Lantash were cooking dinner, while Sam was making a short round of the clearing before darkness fell. She was just about to return to the building, when she noticed someone moving behind the trees. People! She raised her zat'nik'tel and armed it, but she soon realised it was not Jaffa.

There were three people, and they were dressed like peasants. They stopped some distance from the mass of plants, not able to safely pass them. The plants did not pay any attention to them, though, or perhaps they even seemed to move away from them a little. It was not enough for them to pass through to the clearing, but Sam was amazed the trees did not attack them.

The group of people was close enough for Sam to see them clearly now. It was an old couple, maybe in their mid to late sixties, together with a young man in his teens, perhaps their grandson.

She waved at them, and they waved back. Determined to help them, she fired at the trees that were blocking their path. As before, one shot with the zat'nik'tel did nothing, and neither did a second, but a third vaporized the tree. She was about to fire again, when the remaining trees suddenly moved aside, letting the old couple and the young man through.

As soon as they were in the clearing, the plants again filled the opening, and no one could pass through. Sam had a very bad feeling about this - the trees did not want to be killed, but neither were they ready to give up their prey...and they were clearly able to understand that Sam wanted the new arrivals to come through, and would have continued shooting and killing the plants, if they had not moved aside.

"You seem to have drawn quite a lot of the tikvi trees, my friend," The old man observed.

"Yes, you could say that." Sam smiled wryly. "Listen, is that your hut?"

"It is. We stay in it a few months each year while our sheep graze a nearby valley." The man gave her an appraising look. "You are not from around here, correct?"

"I am not. We - that is, my companion and I - we've been hiding in your hut...from those..._trees_. I'm sorry, but we've been eating some of your food and..."

The man stopped her. "Do not be concerned about that, we do not mind. You do not know of the repellent, then?"

"Repellent? Against _those_?" Sam pointed at the carnivorous plants.

"Yes, against the tikvi trees. If you do not use it, they will hunt you and sting you. The repellent keeps them away, and protects you from the effects of their poison."

"That's great! Then we can get out of here, perhaps! Do you have any of that repellent?"

"No, unfortunately not. We each took a dose that will last for the time we are in the forest. It leaves the body slowly, just like the poison itself."

"Damn. Well, can you tell me how to get some?"

"We will tell you which ingredients you need, but it will be dangerous to collect them, even if your companion helps you and you guard each other. We have never seen so many tikvis in one place before," The old woman told her.

"Unfortunately, my..._companion_ will not be able to help. He was stung by one of the trees, and he still suffers from the effects."

"He is hallucinating?"

"Yes, though the episodes seems to be further apart now than before, and I think less severe."

"How long have you stayed here?" The man seemed surprised. "It usually takes months before the hallucinations stop, and they are usually constantly there, though growing less intense as time passes."

"Well, maybe he didn't get a very large dose, or something before I got him freed...or maybe he's more resistant to the poison than most..." Sam said, not wanting to draw attention to Martouf/Lantash being Tok'ra. These people would probably not know about the Tok'ra, and they would think he was a Goa'uld.

"You were very fortunate that you could free him at all." The woman said, then she smiled at Sam. "He is your mate, is he not?"

Sam blushed. "Well, eh, yes, I...I suppose he is..."

"Do not worry about him. There is an antidote, which contains many of the same ingredients as the repellent. I will show you how to make it, and he will be fine in no time."

"Grandmother, you are forgetting about one of the ingredients..." Her grandson said.

She sighed. "Ellik is correct. For the antidote you will need to incapacitate a tikvi tree and take some of the raw poison, which has not yet been sucked up into the stinger. They keep it in a sort of bulb, and you will have to extract some of it. Unfortunately, the small lightning weapon you have will not affect it, except for vaporising it, as you have found. This resistance is no doubt one of the reasons why the Jaffa will not usually venture into the forest, though they seem to have done so now."

"Where did you see the Jaffa?" Sam asked, worried.

The man nodded. "As soon as I saw you, I suspected the Jaffa were looking for you. There are rarely any strangers here, and as my dear wife just said, the Jaffa will not enter the forest without good reason. Well, the Jaffa are no ones friends, so if you are on the run from them, we have even more reason to help you. My name is Willat, this is my wife Dinna, and our grandson Ellik."

"Pleased to meet you." Sam smiled at them. "My name is Sam...Samantha Carter, actually, but people usually call me Sam."

"Good to meet you, Sam." He smiled at her. "You asked about the Jaffa. We did not see them ourselves, but two days ago, when we entered the woods with our sheep, my oldest son stopped by with repellent for our journey. He told us the Jaffa were ordered into the forest, to look for an enemy of Zipacna's. Someone who had fled his imprisonment."

"They will be slowed down by the tikvis, but they have firepower enough to kill many, perhaps enough to make the trees leave them alone. It was a very large Jaffa force which was sent into the forest," Ellik added.

"Then I must hurry and make both the antidote and the repellent!" Sam exclaimed.

"Not tonight. It will be much too dangerous," Dinna said.

While they had been talking, they had reached the hut. "I will wait for morning, then. Listen, I think I should check to see if Martouf is lucid, or if he's hallucinating before you come in. He may get, ah, paranoid if he thinks you're...well, I don't know..._anything_...murderous trees, Jaffa, Goa'uld - you name it." She looked apologetic.

"Do not be concerned - he does not have a weapon, though, does he?"

"No, I hid our other weapons - though, there's the kitchen knives, of course..." Sam looked concerned.

"We will be fine."

Sam nodded, and opened the door. "Martouf? I met the hut's owners - they're coming in with me."

Martouf came to the door. "You do not have to be concerned, Samantha. I am lucid, so I shall not start yelling and making a fool of myself." He gave the sheepherders and their grandson an embarrassed smile. "Hello, my name is Martouf. I apologize for any disorder we have cause to your building. I do not currently have any kind of valuables, but I give you my word I shall return to pay for the food we have eaten and any other losses we may have caused you."

Dinna smiled at him, clearly charmed by him. "Do not worry, young man. You were in need, and we are happy you were able to save yourself by hiding in our hut. I am Dinna."

"I am Willat, and my dear wife is correct. You are welcome to stay as long as you have any need."

"Do not forget the Jaffa. Sooner or later they will come here." Ellik pointed out. "Hello - I am Ellik."

Martouf nodded. "We must leave soon, then. I have made dinner, though I fear not enough for us all. I shall go to the kitchen and prepare more."

* * *

><p>They ate dinner, mostly in silence, but when they finished, they discussed the trees and what happened to MartoufLantash and Sam. Dinna, Willat, and Ellik knew quite a lot about the tikvi trees, as they were called, and explained that the plants were not strong enough to keep people restrained for long, nor strong enough to outright kill a person.

Instead, they would sting people with a poison, and the affected person would then only walk a short distance away before being overwhelmed by hallucinations and unable to flee, perhaps not even try to get away from the tree. Normally, people would hallucinate constantly, for several months, with the effects slowly growing fainter, until the person was normal again.

Of course, the usual result would be that person long since having been eaten by the trees, if no one was there to save them.

The sheepherders told them that it was quite normal that the person hallucinating went through the mood swings Martouf/Lantash had experienced, also. Going from paranoia, to anger, to anguish - then eventually becoming quite amorous.

However, Dinna and Willat had never heard of anyone having lucid periods, so that continued to interest them, especially since Sam and Martouf could not tell them about Lantash.

"Well, we should go and, ah, move some things from the bedroom, so you can have it back," Sam said, remembering they had yet again strewn clothes over the room yesterday evening, in their hurry to get naked and make love.

"Oh, no, do not do that. There is a bed in each of the two smaller rooms. While they are not quite as wide, I believe the two of you will probably need the extra space more than we will. Young people like you tend to be more, ah, _active_ in bed." Dinna winked at Sam, and she blushed.

"Thank you." Martouf smiled at her. "Hopefully, you will soon have your bed back. We must leave as quickly as we can, in order to avoid the Jaffa."

"Yes, I am impressed that our Lord Zipacna will care enough about capturing you to risk sending his Jaffa into the forest," Willat said.

"Zipacna cares little about the lives of his Jaffa."

"True, but he cares a great deal about not wasting resources. What _did_ you do to make him want you this badly?" He asked, curious.

"We, ah, happened to cause some destruction to one of his laboratories. Also, I have information Zipacna wants badly, in order to harm my people. I will _never_ tell him," Martouf exclaimed.

"Understandably, though I am surprised he wants it this much. No offense, but how could an ordinary young man like you have information that a god would care about? Why would he find your people this interesting? The people of one human world is of no more importance to him than another."

"You are doubting my words?" Martouf questioned, angrily.

Alarmed, Sam put a calming hand on his arm. "Sorry, he's...having one of his 'episodes'." She turned to him. "Martouf, no one's doubting you. I know what you say is the truth, but I guess it _does_ sound kinda strange Zipacna would want to know about your people. I mean, if they were normal humans, right?" She tried desperately getting him to take the hint and not mention the Tok'ra.

"Samantha, you _know_ Zipacna would care a great deal! If he learned all that Lantash and I know, I'm sure he would use it to attack the Tok'ra, take the knowledge about the symbiote poison and _exterminate_ every one of us!"

"Calm down, son..." Willat said in a soothing voice. "No one is doubting you. Why do you not relax and..."

Martouf's eyes flashed a strong white-yellow, making the old sheepherder couple and their grandson gasp, while Sam just groaned and hid her face in her hand. _Why_ did Lantash have to come fore right now?

"You are mocking me! Worse, you are mocking my host, Martouf! You do not trust him...why do you not trust him? He is telling the truth! Do you also not believe me?"

"Lantash..." Sam said, putting her hand on his, caressing it gently. "Please, no one is mocking you, calling you a liar, or anything else. You are not yourself. Please, let me take you to the bedroom. You can lie down and sleep for a little while. I'll explain everything to our kind hosts, and then you can come out when you feel better. Or I can join you in bed. It _is_ getting quite late."

"They just want me away so I won't find out they will sell me out to Zipacna!" He said, hotly.

"They won't do that. I would never let them. You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I trust you, Samantha. Always," His voice became softer.

"Then come with me." She held out her hand, and after a moments indecision, Lantash got up and began to follow her.

Just as he was about to leave the room, he suddenly turned to the people still sitting at the table, looking shocked. He dipped his head, and Martouf looked up, giving them a stern look.

"Don't make Lantash and me regret trusting you!" He turned and swiftly left the room. Sam smiled apologetically and followed him, making sure he went to lie down.

Some minutes later, she returned to the kitchen where their hosts were still sitting together, whispering quietly together. They almost jumped up when Sam entered the room.

"Why did you not tell us your mate is a _god_!" Dinna said in a low voice.

Willat slowly shook his head, looking incredulous. "I did not know the poison of the tikvis could affect even a god! It does not seem possible, but clearly it is. Though that explains why it is not affecting him more than it is."

Sam was quiet for a moment, unsure how to answer. She eventually decided she would have to tell the truth, or some part of it anyway.

She took a deep breath and began explaining, "He's not a god. Have you ever heard of the Tok'ra?" Her audience slowly shook their heads. "Well, they are the same species as the Goa'uld, but they have a very different ideology, that is, different beliefs, customs, and reactions. You noticed Lantash was letting Martouf - his host - speak? What Goa'uld would do that? He also cooked dinner for us. Not very Goa'uld, right?"

"I suppose that is correct. However, his eyes flashed, he has the voice of the gods, and you, yourself, admitted he is of the same species. Is he then not also a god?"

"The Goa'uld aren't gods either..." Sam began what turned out to be a very long explanation.

* * *

><p>"So, these Tok'ra fight the Goa'uld. They are rebel Goa'uld - and your mate, Lantash...and his host Martouf - are Tok'ra."<p>

"Yes."

"They want to free us from the suppression by the Goa'uld, and Lantash has information which Zipacna will use to kill these Tok'ra."

"Yes, and he will, if he can. Lantash would die before giving Zipacna that information, but since the Goa'uld have sarcophagi and can just revive people all the times it takes, that may not help."

Dinna, Willat, and Ellik nodded to each other.

"I will have to admit this is shocking news, but...I do believe you," Willat said, slowly.

Dinna and Ellik agreed with him, and Sam relaxed. She suddenly felt exhausted, mostly from the adrenalin that had been coursing through her, and which now began being broken down. "Thank you. I will go and tell Martouf and Lantash."

"You should go to bed. You look tired, and I am sure your mate..._mates_ would like you to join them." Dinna smiled. "I must admit I thought it strange you would wish to belong to someone who is of the same species as the Goa'uld, but I no longer think so. He is very handsome - and very charming, when he is not affected by the tikvi-poison. I can well understand why you love him. He seems to be a good man, well...both of them, I am sure, and well worthy of your love."

"Thanks." Sam blushed, but smiled at the woman. "They are very good men, both of them...and I do love them very much." She nodded at them all. "Goodnight - and thank you for believing me, and for letting us stay here."


	11. The Trees of the Forest

"I cannot say I feel completely at ease in this forest, despite the size of our force," Kha'vok said to his fellow Jaffa, looking uneasily at the trees around them.

"I must admit to some trepidation as well." Thoka'll admitted. "However, we are a large group, as you say, and do we truly know of anyone who has been attacked in here?"

"Well, it is a rare Jaffa who ventures far into these woods on his own, so it would not be a common occurrence, regardless. According to the stories, the, ah, walking flesh-eating trees live deeper inside the forest. At least a full day's march," He lowered his voice and threw nervous looks around him as he said that.

"We _are_ a full day's march into the forest. More, even. We have not seen anything out of the ordinary, though I shall readily admit this place is getting creepier by the minute."

"I have heard that the humans walk freely in the forest, but how could they do so, if anything so dangerous lived in here?" Hulok wondered. He had been listening to his two friends talking for some time, and was getting uneasy.

"True," Kha'vok sighed. "Regardless, I do not believe it would be wise to wander off on your own..." 

* * *

><p>Sam looked out the small window in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the tikvi trees. They were still hanging around near the edge of the clearing, though she thought there were fewer of them today. Had they begun to give up? Perhaps they had decided it was too dangerous, after she had killed one of them yesterday?<p>

Or, perhaps, it was a sign that the Jaffa were near, and the trees had decided it was worth leaving the few people barricaded inside the hut, which sat in the middle of a clearing they could not safely walk across, in order to hunt this larger, and more easily attained, group.

She did not know if it was a good sign or not, _if_ the reason turned out to be the latter one. As long as there were any trees at all, they could not safely leave the area, and it would be dangerous for her to try to get the ingredients for both the repellent and the antidote. On the other hand, they could not wait out the trees, not if the Jaffa were coming closer. She had to go out for the ingredients today, she knew.

"Dinna, these ingredients I need for the repellent and the antidote - can I get all of them here in the clearing? I mean, except for the tikvi-poison, of course?" Sam wondered.

"Most of them, but unfortunately not all of them." Dinna looked apologetic. "For the repellent you need kava moss, redberry leaves, sweet-smell leaves, tova root, and bark from bitterbush trees. In addition to that, you will need raw tikvi poison and vihda-tubers for the antidote. We have made sure as many of the needed plants as possible are here, but neither the kava moss nor the vihda-tubers can be grown in this clearing - the soil treatment which keeps the tikvi trees away, unfortunately also makes the ground unsuitable for them."

"You need wild strawberries also," Willat said.

"_Strawberries_!" Sam exclaimed. "But...it's not the season for that, how am I going to get strawberries?"

"You do not need them." Dinna threw her husband a sharp look. "Willat likes me to add it to the repellent. It is quite bitter, and the strawberries sweetens it."

"'Quite bitter'," Willat scoffed. "_That_ is an understatement!"

"OK - never mind. Can you show me how these plants look?" Sam said, smiling a little at their scuffle.

"Of course, my dear. I will help you find the ones here in the clearing, then I will describe where you can find the others and how they look." She frowned. "Really, it should be Willat and I going - we already have taken the repellent, so we will be safe..."

"But not from the Jaffa, and they could well be near," Martouf pointed out. "A large group of Jaffa, who have been searching for their 'prey' for several days, possibly amid attacks from the...tikvi trees, are not someone  
>you wish to meet. They will be angry, and may not be so discriminate in who they kill - aside from the fact that they will simply be nervous and may shoot at anything that moves, thinking it is the trees. No, it is not safe for you out there."<p>

"Grandmother - did you tell them about the illusions?" Ellik asked with concern, having just wandered into the room. "No one is ever completely safe from _those_ - and there really are a _lot_ of tikvis out there!"

Dinna sighed. "That is true. However, if you are on your guard, the illusions will not be able to fool you, and I doubt there are many trees in the nearby forest, _except_ for here, so it would only be an issue going out _of_ and in _to_ the clearing. You could easily avoid the temptations there."

"Which illusions are those?" Martouf asked, looking less than pleased. He bowed his head, giving control to Lantash.

"How much more can these trees _do_?" Lantash complained. "Please, we need to know - all of it!"

"The tikvis can make you _see_ things. They take it from your mind, and show it to you. Things you wish to see - or things you would rather not, depending on what would suit them. The suggestions are not strong unless you touch them - or there are many of them. If you know about it, you can watch out for it. In any case, the repellent will keep the trees away from you, unless they are very intent on going after people. Which they may be right now, I suppose, but the repellent is a strong discouragement for them. Normally, no one using it would be at risk." Willat told them.

"That - and the Jaffa - is why I would rather my grandparents do not leave this clearing until it is safer again," Ellik said.

"No problem," Sam said. "We'll handle it."

"This is why I hate surprises!" Lantash exclaimed.

Sam grinned. "Well, you have something in common with Colonel O'Neill, then. Who would have thought!"

"You do not have to insult me, Samantha." Lantash looked hurt, then he got agitated again. "I just _knew_ there would be more bad news about those damn things!"

"Sorry." She squeezed his arm. Then she gave him a concerned look, realising he was starting to fall under the effects of the poison again. She smiled at him, trying to calm him down. "You know, Lantash - why don't you go lie down for a while, then you can go with me. Guard me, perhaps?"

"I will be happy to guard you, my Samantha." Lantash smiled, then gave control to Martouf.

"I will come too, of course," He said.

"Thanks, Martouf." Sam frowned a little at him, and the absurdity of the situation. "That's, ah, kind of you."

"Oh, and _I_ don't need any rest - I'll help you immediately!"

"Thanks, but you don't have to." Sam smiled at him. "We're just going to find the plants that grow here in the clearing."

He seemed to consider this, then nodded. "All right, but I will follow you when you go to get those further away. You cannot both harvest these ingredients _and_ guard against those murderous trees!" 

* * *

><p>They quickly finished harvesting the leaves, roots, and bark they could find locally, and returned to the hut with them. Dinna then explained in as much detail as she could, how the kava moss and the vihda plant looked. It turned out that Lantash recognized them from the descriptions, though he knew them under other names.<p>

They decided to wait until later before they attempted to incapacitate one of the tikva trees - there was no reason to antagonize the plants further just before they had to walk past them and then through the forest for some distance.

The sheepherders started a fire just at the edge of the clearing, which made the trees move aside a few feet. Ellik would keep it burning until Sam and Martouf/Lantash returned, keeping a way open for them. They threw ash on the path around the entrance as well, helping to make it unpleasant for the tikvis to stay.

Sam and Martouf/Lantash were each armed with a zat'nik'tel and a knife, and in addition to that, Martouf/Lantash had the hand device as well. They very much hoped this would be a quick expedition; not only would they be in constant danger from the admittedly slow moving trees - but it was only a matter of time before Martouf and Lantash would start to hallucinate, and that might jeopardize the mission.

Sam shuddered, throwing a glance over her shoulder at the tikvi trees who were just beginning to turn, and were perhaps going to come after them.

"The kava moss should grow not far from here, in another, much smaller clearing some half mile in that direction." Sam pointed. "Let's go get that first."

"Sounds reasonable," Martouf agreed, and they hurried on, making sure to keep on guard both for moving trees and for Jaffa. 

* * *

><p>It had not been a problem finding the kava moss, and they had then walked to the nearby valley to look for vihda plants. This was where the sheepherders kept the sheep, and the place was partially fenced in the places where the sheep would otherwise have been able to escape. Though with the amount of lush grass covering the hillsides, it would probably be a while before the sheep had any wish to try to escape.<p>

Martouf quickly spotted a large vihda plant, and Sam began digging to get to its roots.

"Samantha...please hurry..." Martouf said, concern lacing his voice.

"It will only be a moment...I have reached the roots, so I just need to cut a couple of large pieces free." She continued working, not looking up.

Another couple minutes passed. "_Samantha_!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got them. Don't fret!" She looked up, only to see two tikva trees coming towards them.

Martouf had fired at the nearest twice with his zat'nik'tel, but it had of course not responded. Spotting a third tree, he decided it would take too long to kill them this way, and instead raised his ribbon device, hoping it would work better.

He focused and fired a strong shock wave against the nearest tikva. The blast slammed into it, and actually threw it some distance before it fell. It stayed down, and Martouf quickly sent off two similar shock waves at the two other trees. By the time all three were lying on the ground, the first had slowly started to move a little, but it was clear that getting up again would be something of a problem for it.

"It worked!" He looked at them, surprised.

"Beautiful!" Sam said, throwing the bag with the roots and moss over her shoulder, grabbing Martouf's hand, and pulling him after her. "Come, let's get out of here before those things figure out how to get up again - or more show up." 

* * *

><p>"So you think a tikva can be incapacitated for long enough to get some of their poison?" Willat asked, looking with some trepidation at Martouf wearing a hand device. He had only ever seen those on Zipacna or one of his underlings, and they scared the living daylight out of him. He had always thought they were magical and only used by the evil gods.<p>

Martouf nodded. "Yes, I believe I can knock out one of them for long enough to allow Samantha to extract some of the poison - and hopefully also keep the others from coming close enough to harm her. It would also seem that several more have left while we were gone."

"Yes, there are probably no more than half the number left, compared to how many were here yesterday," Sam agreed. "I don't know if I should be happy, or worried. What if it means the Jaffa are getting close, and the trees have left to attack them?"

"If that is the case, I wish the trees good luck." Martouf smiled wryly. "We should probably do this as soon as possible."

"Yes." Sam gave him a concerned look. "Let's get started."

Earlier, they had just made it back in time before he had another bout of hallucinations. She had managed to pull him into the hut, and get him to relax until it passed. It was now late afternoon, and he had been lucid for about an hour. If things followed the usual pattern, he should remain himself for at least another two hours, but she did not want to gamble.

Lantash took over control, as he was better able to use the hand device while expending as little energy as possible. If they were to be able to keep the other tikvas away from Sam, they would probably have to fire a great many shock waves, and it would not do for them to become exhausted before Sam had finished tapping the poison. 

* * *

><p>"Damn, it's harder to drill through this wood than any I have ever tried before," Sam complained, trying to get through to the tikvis reservoir of poison. "I really wish I had an electric drill and some kind of syringe, instead of this!" She indicated the brace and the small spout she had been given.<p>

"Do you wish me to try?" Lantash took a step towards her.

"No! Stay there - keep those murderous plants away from me. I can't use the ribbon device anywhere near as well as you can."

Lantash nodded and returned to his patient - and very observant - waiting.

After another maybe five minutes, Sam had managed to drill through to the poison, but the tree was by now really trying to get up, and had also recovered enough to begin lifting and extending the stinger, though it could not yet aim it.

"Samantha - get away. I'll give it another blast," Lantash said, holding out his arm, the crystal in the center of the hand device glowing.

"Getting out of the way." Sam quickly jumped aside, and Lantash gave the tree another shot, fairly soft compared to the first. They did not want the tree to roll over and the poison leaking out.

Several of the other trees had gotten up, and were again approaching, together with a few more that had come to their assistance. Lantash had more than enough work keeping them occupied, while Sam hurried back to the tree she had been working on, to hammer in the spout and tap some of the raw poison that slowly seeped out.

The tree soon began to move its tentacles a little again.

"Okay, I've got enough." Sam jumped aside and hurried back to the clearing.

Lantash sent off another shock wave against the nearest trees, and then retreated together with Sam. He looked exhausted, but smiled at her. He gave her a kiss, put an arm around her, and they returned to the hut.

He looked forward to taking a nap, while Sam prepared the antidote. He decided to grab some of the left-over deer meat before sleeping, though. He felt ravenously hungry after using the hand device this much. He looked at Sam, and he and Martouf agreed that some food and a nap would be more than enough for them to recover - they wanted to make certain they had the energy to enjoy being with their lovely mate tonight! 

* * *

><p>Feeling refreshed, MartoufLantash came out into the kitchen, where Dinna was helping Sam make the antidote and the repellent.

"Martouf..." Sam half-turned and smiled at him. "The antidote is almost finished, it should be ready this evening before you go to bed. The repellent needs to sit for another two days before it can be filtered and used, though."

"It will take that long for the antidote to take full effect anyway, so he could not take the repellent earlier even if it was ready," Dinna said.

"The antidote does not work immediately?" Martouf asked, looking disappointed.

"No, not in a human, but to be honest, I do not know how long it will take for it to work on you - or if it will take longer for, ah, you or your symbiote - if you understand what I mean."

"I do." He smiled. "No matter. I am pleased there _is_ an antidote. I would not have enjoyed suffering from this for _months_!"

"You probably would not have been affected that long. Since you are already getting better, and since the hallucinations are interchanged with lucid periods, I am guessing it would only have taken 1-2 weeks more before you had gotten well on your own," Dinna said.

Martouf nodded. "Lantash agrees with you, though even that amount of time would have been unpleasant - for all of us. Besides, the Jaffa would presumably long since have captured us by then."

"I'm very worried that will happen soon anyway." Sam looked concerned. "We can't leave for another 2 days, and the Jaffa could very well be here by then."

"You should really wait at least half a day after taking the repellent. It takes that long to reach full effect," Dinna pointed out.

Sam sighed. "We'll have to hope those damn tikvi trees really slow the Jaffa down a _lot_!" 

* * *

><p>"Where are you going?" Kha'vok wondered.<p>

He and the other Jaffa had made camp for the evening, and they were now sitting around small campfires, cooking dinner.

"I heard something," a Jaffa named Ulliod answered. "I will go and check it out. Perhaps it is the human renegade."

"You should not go anywhere alone," Thoka'll said, but Ulliod had already disappeared among the trees.

"We better go after him and make sure the fool does not get himself killed." Kha'vok got up and looked down at his friends.

Thoka'll nodded, "I agree."

He and Hulok got up and together with Kha'vok, they followed the path Ulliod had taken. The forest around them quickly got thicker and it was completely dark, except for the torch they had brought.

Thoka'll, who was leading their small party, slowed his steps. "Now where did the idiot _go_?" He looked around, nervously.

"I cannot see anything in this damn darkness!" Hulok swore. "Ulliod!" He called out.

"Ulliod!" Kha'vok repeated, lowering his voice, when he suddenly heard a noise, as if leaves rattling. But there was no _wind_. "Are you out there?"

"The sound came from over there!" Thoka'll pushed through the branches and stepped away from the path, the others following, all feeling very uneasy.

"It's the prisoner!" Kha'vok suddenly called out. "Look! He is just over there!" He stared at what appeared to be Martouf, standing with his back against a tree, looking relaxed.

Suddenly, the image of Martouf appeared to notice them, and desperately looked around him for somewhere to flee, then darted off in a direction away from the Jaffa.

"Get him!" Hulok yelled, seeing him also.

He and Kha'vok started running after him, while Thoka'll hurried back to report to the others. The prisoner had been seen - and he was not far away! Perhaps they would soon complete this job successfully and return without meeting whatever evil was lurking in this forest! 

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, no more than 15 feet from where the three Jaffa had been standing, Ulliod had been captured by one of the tikvi trees. It was holding him in a strangle-hold, and injecting him several times with the poison.<p>

Slowly, the tree released its tentacles, not having the strength to hold on for long. The Jaffa sank to the ground, falling over and staying down. He did not make a sound.

Ulliod was alive. The world around him was peaceful. He faintly remembered he had been afraid, but he was not afraid anymore. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. He was lying on his back in a peaceful meadow, and he could not be bothered to try to move. He felt that if he tried, he would panic. Yes, there was danger outside this place, but not in here...

The tree moved a little bit towards him, covering him with its branches and leaves, so he would not be seen. Using its tentacles, it slowly began shuffling dirt over him. Soon, he would suffocate. The tree still enjoyed the feeling of fear and desperation it had sensed from the Jaffa, before he reacted to the poison. It almost wished to leave him alive and wait for the bouts of paranoia, fear, and other emotions to course through the being, but the thought of eating meat again was stronger. The tree began the process of producing the enzymes that it needed to spray over its prey, anticipating the time when it could begin metabolizing the Jaffa... 

* * *

><p>Hulok stopped in his track, just gaping at what happened before him. Out of nowhere, one of the <em>trees<em> sent out long thin branches and grabbed Kha'vok, pulling him towards it with lightening speed. Kha'vok fought against it, trying to get free, but obviously to no avail.

Before Hulok had time to do anything, another thin tentacle moved towards Kha'vok, then suddenly stabbed him. It only took a few more moments before Kha'vok stopped trying to get loose, and just hung there, looking into nothing with a blank expression on his face.

Shaking himself out of his shock, Hulok activated his staff weapon. "Kha'vok! I will save you!" He aimed and fired at the tree, taking care not to hit his friend.

The tree staggered a little, but did not let go of the Jaffa, nor did the blast leave more than a small scratch, and very superficial burning on its trunk. Hulok was about to fire again, when he suddenly felt tentacles grab him from behind. Another tree had snuck up and now had him in its clutches! He screamed, shortly, before feeling a sharp pain as he, too, was stung. 

* * *

><p>Thoka'll had roused the other Jaffa, telling them of having seen Martouf. They quickly started their pursuit, enthusiastic at the prospect of capturing the renegade and soon going back to their village.<p>

"Wait - did you hear that?" One of the Jaffa wondered. "It sounded like one of ours."

"He screamed with a fear no Jaffa would ever show. No, it must be the prisoner. Come!" His leader answered.

A group of the Jaffa took off in the direction the scream had come from, and soon came upon the place where Hulok and Kha'vok were captured.

"What is this devilry? A trap set by the prisoner, no doubt!" The Jaffa leader motioned at a couple of his men. "Free them, _immediately_! The rest of you continue looking for the renegade. He cannot be far away!"

The Jaffa set about working to free their captured comrades, but found it a hard and difficult work. They had only just succeeded, when several other trees around them started moving, and from the screams they heard further away, several more Jaffa had been attacked. They started firing, and soon there was a regular battle raging, with more and more trees appearing, as if out of nowhere.


	12. Collision Course

McKay was standing in front of a large view screen with an image of an asteroid, briefing Hammond and the members of SG-1 present.

"See, we've generated this image based on satellite observations made over the last few hours. The asteroid has an irregular shape, but we've calculated its length from end-to-end to be approximately 137 kilometers. I have found that.."

"Excuse me, why are we listening to you again?" O'Neill asked, annoyed. He had not liked McKay the first time he met him, and having him here now, just reminded him that Carter was gone.

"Our planet is about to be destroyed - and, might I add _I_, the most brilliant scientist on the planet, am about to be _killed_ unless you do something about this - and you're complaining about the _messenger_?"

"Just cut the crap and tell us what's going to happen."

"The asteroid will hit Earth. It will kill us all. What part of that didn't you understand?"

"Where will it hit - and when, Doctor?" Hammond asked, cutting through the bickering.

"Unless I'm wrong - and I can't see any reason why I would be - it will strike somewhere in the Arctic Circle. Probably Greenland or the Barents Sea. When? In just over eleven days and sixteen hours."

"How come nobody's noticed this? Except us, I mean?" Daniel wondered.

"Well, a civilian actually discovered it. The asteroid's path is highly atypical. It's a rogue well outside the plane of the solar system occupied by the planets and the asteroid belt. No one in their right mind would have thought to look for it."

"If no one had looked for it, we would just have been killed never knowing what hit us. This way we can hopefully at least do something," O'Neill pointed out.

"_Do_ something? What are you going to do? Blow it up with a nuke? The parts of it will just continue on its way and hit Earth anyway!" McKay exclaimed.

"Could we not ask some of our friends and allies?" Teal'c suggested. "Perhaps the Tok'ra could be of assistance."

"Unfortunately, they've been on the run since the Goa'uld attacked their base at Revanna. We've already sent a message asking for their help, but so far there hasn't been any reply," Hammond said.

"The Asgard owe us a favor," O'Neill suggested.

"We could contact them through the K'tau, through their Hall of Wisdom," Daniel reminded them.

"According to the treaty with the Goa'uld, the Asgard cannot prevent natural disasters from occurring on protected planets," Teal'c said.

"Hey, the Goa'uld tried to make the Tollan send a bomb through the iris. Screw the treaty," O'Neill said.

Daniel looked at O'Neill, trying to appear convincing, "Well, one of our allies will help."

"Let's hope you're right. Otherwise we'll all be dead in eleven days and sixteen hours!" McKay reminded them, looking unhappy. 

* * *

><p>The Jaffa leader put the long distance communication device back in his bag. "The order is clear. We continue."<p>

"But...those _trees_! They will kill us all!" Thoka'll cried.

"It is the duty of any Jaffa to be prepared to die for their god. Perhaps I should tell Zipacna you do not 'feel' like doing so?" The leader mocked. "We saw the prisoner - and he has been seen again today. We will continue until we capture him, even if it is the last thing we do. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord. Of course." Thoka'll bowed his head in shame.

"Prepare to break camp! We are moving out in fifteen minutes! The renegade has been seen not fifty feet from here, and a scouting group has been sent ahead. _This_ time we will get him, men!" 

* * *

><p>Just over two days had passed, and the repellent was now ready for use. Martouf and Lantash had reacted favourably to the antidote, and had become themselves much quicker than a human would. It had been more that ten hours since they last had any hallucinations, attacks of paranoia, or other signs of the poison. As well, the last two episodes had been very light. They seemed to be completely well.<p>

"So, here you go, my dears. I must warn you, it _does_ taste rather bitter, but since you need the _whole_ dosage for it to work you must be careful not to spill or cough up any of it," Dinna said as she handed Sam and Martouf/Lantash a glass each.

"Why is there more in my glass than in Samantha's?" Martouf wondered, looking sceptically at the thick, fluorescently green fluid.

"Well, you are two people, so we thought you might need more - particularly since you told us a...a _symbiote_ usually filters out...strange things," Willat said.

"True, but Lantash would not filter out a drug we need to avoid getting eaten!" Martouf looked slightly offended.

"Forgive me, son, but we have no experience with your kind, except as...as rulers and, um, gods." He looked somewhat ashamed. "Which I now understand they are not. However, since there is no harm in getting a too large dosage, we deemed it safer to give you too much, than too little."

Martouf nodded, sighing. "I apologize. It is a prudent measure. It is merely that this..._potion_ is rather vicious looking and the smell is noxious..."

Willat laughed. "Yes, I know. That is why I prefer mine flavoured with strawberries. It does not make the repellent pleasant to ingest, but it does help hide the worst..."

Dinna brought a large pitcher full of water and poured two glasses, then fetched two small chili-like fruits, and two apples. "As soon as you have taken the repellent, drink half a glass of water, eat the red fire-fruit, eat the apple, then drink another half glass of water. That should alleviate the worst of the taste."

Sam looked as if she was considering whether or not being eaten by the trees were preferable, but she eventually shrugged and looked at Martouf/Lantash. "Okay, I'm ready, I think."

Martouf looked at it all in disbelief, then dipped his head, giving Lantash control.

"We are ready as well - as much as anyone _can_ be ready for this."

He frowned, then picked up the glass of repellent and looked at it for a moment before he took a deep breath, opened his mouth and poured the stuff in. He almost gagged on it, but managed to swallow the mouthful. His expression looked pained, but he continued drinking, and soon had the glass emptied. He immediately put it down on the table and grabbed the water, downing half the glass as he was told. He coughed, but kept the stuff down, then ate the chili-like fruit, followed by the apple, then the other half of the glass of water. Without speaking, he poured another full glass of water and quickly emptied it, before he sat down, looking relieved.

Sam had studied him with increasing trepidation, and now stood staring at her own glass of repellent. There was less of it than what Martouf and Lantash had drunk, but still - the glass was almost half full.

"Well, down the hatch - I guess."

Closing her eyes, she opened her mouth and took a sip, then almost dropped the glass as she gagged on the stuff. She did not spill anything, though, and eventually forced it down. She looked at the amount of fluid left - she did not think it seemed to have even diminished. This was going to take a while.

Lantash sent her a sympathetic look. "You can do it, Samantha." 

* * *

><p>Sam had managed to force the offending potion down, and they had waited some time, allowing it to take full effect. They were finally ready to leave.<p>

"There are only about a handful of trees on guard today," Sam remarked, as she stood in the door, looking towards the edge of the forest.

"Yes. Presumably they have gone to capture the Jaffa who are looking for us. These tikvi trees must really be able to communicate over longer distances somehow - perhaps passing the information on from plant to plant," Martouf suggested.

"That would explain why no Jaffa have showed up yet - they must be having a lot more trouble with the trees than we expected." She stepped outside.

"Let's hope our enemies will continue to fight each other for a while yet, allowing us to escape." Martouf smiled, following Sam out the door.

"Presumably they will," Willat said, coming to stand beside them. "The tikvis have not had people to eat in a long time. The humans of this world know how to protect themselves if they have to venture into the woods,  
>and the Jaffa stay away if at all possible."<p>

"Will they not eat animals?" Martouf wondered.

"It does not seem so. I do not know why, but as far as anyone on this world knows, it has never happened. We also believe it is harmful for them to move very often, because it will damage their roots."

"Well, that makes sense, so they couldn't keep up a long hunt, I guess. As for the animals...maybe you just haven't seen it?" Sam suggested. "It sounds strange they wouldn't capture the animals, if they like meat."

"Perhaps, but no left-over animal skeletons have ever been found. The tikvis does not eat the bones, so they are left after their meal. However, they turn a very characteristic shade of green, so it is obvious when someone has been the victim of a tikvi."

"And only human bones - or Jaffa, I guess since they probably look the same - have been found?"

"Yes - except for those of a small, serpentine lifeform, which appears to have had fins. It is believed it is the primtas of the Jaffa. They, too, had been eaten."

"It would be symbiotes, yes." Martouf frowned. "Perhaps the trees simply use the sentience of their prey against them?"

"Or perhaps they enjoy the reaction of sentient lifeforms, feeding off their fears and others emotions as well as their flesh?" Sam suggested. "Never mind. This is one scientific mystery I will be happy to leave unsolved."

Dinna stepped up to them, followed by Ellik. They both carried a bag fashioned with straps, making it possible to carry it on the back, like a backpack.

"Here are food and water for the journey, as well as blankets for the night. It may become cold, as you will be going through the lower mountains," Dinna said.

"Thank you...you have our gratitude, both for this, and for your hospitality and help against the tikvi trees," Martouf said, bowing to them in the traditional Tok'ra greeting. "Good bye."

Lantash took over. "From me as well. Good bye."

"And me." Sam smiled at them. "Good bye - and I really hope the Jaffa won't give you any problems."

"I am certain the tikvis will take care of that. Farewell - and safe journey." 

* * *

><p>"I wonder <em>why<em> those trees hunt people," Sam mused. "I would think they'd be able to just live from sunlight and nutrients in the ground, like most plants do."

"Most likely they _can_, since they had apparently not had people to eat for a long time, according to Dinna and her family. Perhaps the soil is poor in something they need, and so they supplement with meat to be able to grow larger or faster? Or perhaps in order to multiply faster?" Martouf suggested.

"True - or maybe it's just easier." Sam sighed. "Or they like the taste, or whatever, if trees even can taste stuff, which sounds a bit wacky, I know."

"These tikvi-trees _are_ unusual, so maybe they _can_ taste their food." Martouf gave her a smile. "I will just be happy we have only met one of them, and that it did not attempt to sting us or anything."

"Oh, I agree, I'm over-joyed...also about the fact we haven't met any Jaffa. They must be keeping each other occupied."

"Let us hope it remains that way. I estimate we have walked for a couple hours, and even with the short-cut the sheep-herders told us about, it will take us nearly three days to reach the chaapa'ai. There is time yet for our enemies to catch up to us."

"Always the pessimist, hm?"

"Not at all. Despite our, ah, unfortunate mishap with the trees, this last week and a half has been most fortunate for Lantash and I. Not only have we both been brought back to life and are together again, but we have had the opportunity to spend time alone with you, Samantha." He smiled at her, a little shyly. "Despite the circumstances, much of that time has been..._most_ pleasant."

Sam blushed. "Yes. Yes...it has." She looked away.

"Something concerns you?" Martouf looked at her, worried. "Have we done anything to anger you?"

"No, not at all. It's just...listen, don't take this the wrong way. You're both...sweet and wonderful, and I do...I do have feelings for you. _Love_ you, I guess, and not just because of Jolinar."

"Then what is the problem, if you love us?" Martouf looked at her, feelings of pain and confusion mingling on his face. "We love you as well - as much as we loved Jolinar."

"I...I'm flattered, and I do believe you. It's just...I don't know how well things would work out. Love is not all. We're from different _planets_. Even if we can get over any cultural differences, it would be one _hell_ of a long distance relationship!"

"I am sure we would figure something out. If you will not join the Tok'ra, then perhaps Lantash and I could be allowed to join Stargate Command? We have skills that could be of assistance to you."

"You would do that? Leave the Tok'ra for me? I can't ask you to do that!"

Martouf shook his head. "We would not be leaving the Tok'ra - we could never do that. It would be more like a...temporary posting to the Tau'ri, maybe as a liaison, or something."

"There are certainly many situations where a Tok'ra would have knowledge we could use, so it's not a bad idea - provided the idiots at home are willing to see it," Sam said, knowing well it would be difficult to convince them.

"Truth be told, it will also not be easy to convince the Council, but we intend to try - if you will become our mate."

"Perhaps...we should wait and see how things develop first? I'm not saying I don't want to be your mate - I may well decide I do - but this is very soon! And then there are the problems of how we would be together."

Martouf sighed, then nodded. "We will give you as long as you want, of course." He bowed his head, and Lantash came fore.

"We very much hope you will decide to become our mate - and soon. The life of a human is short, unless you decide to blend. We do not wish to lose more time together with you than necessary," Lantash said.

"I..." Sam did not know what to say. He was right, of course. If she did not blend, she would die of old age, while Martouf would be no older than he was today. She knew that if she decided to become their mate, this was something she needed to figure out. Could she do that? Become a host again? She looked at Lantash. "I can't say the thought of blending doesn't still scare me, but I do promise you I will think about it. And about becoming your mate, too."

"Thank you. Then that will have to be enough, for now." He sighed. "Samantha, we love you so much. There is nothing we wish more strongly, than for you to become ours."

Sam smiled at him, feeling a little awkward. They walked on in silence for some time, each absorbed in his or her own thoughts. 

* * *

><p>"Sam...over here!"<p>

Sam looked towards where the voice was coming from, suddenly seeing her father. "Dad?" Disbelieving, she took a few steps towards the image, then stopped.

"It cannot be Jacob, Samantha." Martouf told her, looking in the direction she stared in. Suddenly, he saw Jacob as well. He shook his head. "It is an illusion. It must be."

Sam took a step more towards the image of Jacob, and it suddenly disappeared.

"You're right - I had just been thinking of him." Sam smiled, embarrassed. "I guess we really do need to be careful. It seems the tikvis realised we weren't going to fall for it, though."

"Yes, or they sensed the repellent when you approached them."

"So they really _can_ cause illusions! I wonder if they've used that to lure the Jaffa too?"

"Presumably. The tikvi tree that captured Lantash and me could sense thoughts from us, like we did from it, so it may have learned about the Jaffa following us. Not only that, but it has probably had time to tell its brethren."

"So the trees may be tempting the Jaffa with an image of _us_ - or you, at least. I don't think Zipacna knows about me." Sam shook her head. "I wonder how intelligent these tikvis _are_. It's frightening!"

They had walked the whole day, only taking brief rests to eat a little. They were still deep in the forest, and darkness was falling fast.

"Even with the help of the repellent, I still do not think it would be safe not to keep guard tonight," Martouf said. "You should sleep. Lantash and I will take turns keeping watch."

"Thanks, but you need to rest too, and I remember you telling me that it's not as restful when you're not both sleeping. Besides, your body needs rest, too."

"True, but we can manage this way for a few days without problems."

"Perhaps, but I insist. We take turns - all of us...and you two get to sleep first." She smiled at him.

He inclined his head, accepting her wish. "On one condition..."

"Yes?"

"We get a goodnight kiss - each!"

Sam laughed and threw her arms around him. She looked at him, her eyes twinkling as she leaned closer. "Your wish is my command..." she murmured, just before their lips met. 

* * *

><p>"Sleep well?" Sam asked while they were eating breakfast. The night had been uneventful during the times she had kept guard, and MartoufLantash had not indicated anything had transpired during their watches either. Most of the trees seemed to be elsewhere in the forest.

"Yes, well enough." He smiled at her, mischievously. "Though not as well as in a bed, with a beautiful woman in my arms."

Sam blushed. "Well, perhaps something can be arranged...when we get back to the SGC - or the Tok'ra." She frowned. "That reminds me. We have no GDO - and I don't know where any of the Tok'ra bases are. They have all been moved - all Tok'ra had to flee after the attack on Revanna."

Martouf nodded, serious again. "A great many Tok'ra died, and the survivors will likely be very cautious for a long time. It will not be easy to get the location of any of the bases."

"And we can't go to Earth." Sam sighed. "We  
>could perhaps go to 'the Land of the Light' - or Cimmeria." She threw a quick look at Martouf. "No, wait - forget Cimmeria. Its an Asgard protected planet, and Thor's fixed the Hammer, so that won't do."<p>

"Do not worry, Lantash would be quite safe. The Tok'ra and the Asgard have treaties, and exceptions have been installed in all Asgard devices. No Tok'ra will be harmed."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Sam wrinkled her brow. "Though...now you're mentioning it...I think perhaps I remember Jolinar being beamed up by Thor and scanned..."

"Yes, she would have been. Since she was not born Tok'ra, she would have had to have an individual exception made."

"She was Goa'uld?" Sam frowned. "Yes, I seem to remember that now...she became Tok'ra pretty quickly, though. Well, the individual exceptions make sense. In any case, 'the Land of the Light' is our best bet - we regularly have teams visiting them, and I think they even got a radio recently, to use for telling us if they want someone to come and help, or something. We'll try them first. Cimmeria only has a Sagan box." She looked towards Martouf. "You remember? We gave you guys one the first time, so you could contact us."

"I do. They contain iridium and other elements. When they hit your iris, they leave distinct nuclear signatures that can be detected."

"Exactly." Sam smiled, surprised he remembered.

They finished their breakfast, and began walking. It was still early morning, and if they kept good time they should be able to reach the foothills of the mountains before nightfall.


	13. Travel

Daniel sighed. "I sure hope we get there in time."

"We should. There's still more than eight days left." O'Neill yawned. "McKay..." He grimaced. "...says we should be there in time. Just."

"We'll have to hope the scientists back home made the right calculations - that we'll actually be able to deflect the asteroid with this bomb."

"It will work. The equivalent of one billion tons of TNT, they said."

"I still wish Sam was here. They barely got this cargo ship repaired and in the air, and it's shaking and making weird noises," Daniel complained.

"I wish that too." O'Neill looked unhappy. "At least she won't risk being flattened along with the rest of us, if this fails. The people being evacuated to the Alpha site can certainly use her."

"If she's even still alive. What if Zipacna's captured both her and Martouf? We haven't heard anything from the Tok'ra."

"Stop that! They _will_ be okay," O'Neill said with conviction, as much to reassure himself as Daniel. 

* * *

><p>The forest was getting more open, with more space between the trees. Sam and MartoufLantash had not seen any tikvi trees at all today, and they hoped to soon be outside their domain completely. According to Dinna and Willat, the trees could not live in the thin soil of the mountainous terrain, so as soon as they reached that, they would be safe.

Sam was getting more quiet now they would soon be going home. after having thought about it some more, she was now very unsure of how things would go with her and Martouf/Lantash. She loved him, and she did believe they loved her, but the closer she got to returning to her 'normal' life, the less sure she was it would be possible to get things to work out between them.

What if the Tok'ra Council would not let Martouf and Lantash go to Earth? They _had_ lost a lot of Tok'ra during the attack on Revanna. Then, what about the SGC? To be perfectly honest, people there were not the most Tok'ra friendly, and even her own team mates often seemed to think of the Tok'ra as untrustworthy and barely better than the Goa'uld.

Would Martouf and Lantash be allowed to stay at the SGC? Would they be allowed to do anything interesting? Would they even be allowed to go outside the base? The SGC might not be the most pleasant place for a Tok'ra, and perhaps it would not be very kind of her to accept Martouf and Lantash's offer.

Then, could _she_ live in the Tok'ra tunnels? Was she ready to leave Earth? She was not sure - and if she did, would she be expected to become a host? Yes, they would accept a no, but how would they feel when someone died because no new host could be found in time - and she was right there? How would _she_ feel?

Perhaps it would be better if she just accepted that it was not to be. She felt a stab of pain in her heart at the thought of giving up on her love. Could she even do that? She had thought them dead, and now they had been brought back to her, alive and well. She closed her eyes for a moment. Why did her life have to be this difficult?

She had always been good at suppressing her feelings. She was not so sure it would work this time, though. 

* * *

><p>They were walking through the lower parts of the mountain range, following the river that was winding its way through them. The terrain was relatively open, except for bushes and small hardy trees. This was a problem, as there was little to hide under.<p>

One deathglider had passed over the area while they had walked here, and they had only just managed to reach an out-cropping of rock to hide under. They had not been seen - or so they hoped - but they would have to find cover somewhere tonight. Any deathgliders sent out during nighttime would be equipped with infrared scanners.

"There." Lantash pointed. "An opening, possibly a cave."

Sam looked in the direction he indicated. It was some distance away, and hard to see in the dusk. "Yes...I see it. We should investigate it and see if we can use it. Hopefully, it will be deep enough to cover us completely. It would just suck getting caught by Jaffa when we've managed to get through a forest full of murderous trees!"

They climbed the slope, taking care not to stumble and fall. Reaching the opening to the cave, they saw that it was quite deep - enough so that they could not see the far wall.

"It is unfortunate that we do not have a flashlight." Lantash sighed, as he searched the area nearby for a branch that could be used as a torch. "We will have to make do with more primitive means. I do not hear any deathgliders, so hopefully none are close enough to discover the light and extra heat. In any case, I will quickly go inside the cave, and they will not have long to detect it."

He lighted a thick, dry branch he had found, and entered the cave, walking carefully and with the hand device on his left hand raised and ready. Sam followed, her zat'nik'tel armed. There could very well be dangerous animals in the cave.

"Seems okay," Sam said, looking around as well.

"Yes..." Lantash checked for a moment longer, walking along the whole perimeter of the cave. The opening itself was only a few feet high, but the cave itself was relatively large, and most of it was hidden from outside view, as the larger part of it turned away from the opening. It was maybe thirty feet deep, all together. "We are fortunate the weather is still warm, or a great many kinds of animals might have hidden in here - large mountain cats perhaps, or other predators. There could still be snakes or lizards, but hopefully none that are venomous." He pounded his feet hard against the rock, trying to scare out whatever critters were hiding.

"Relax, we'll be fine. This isn't the first time I've slept in a cave." Sam smiled. He was cute when he was so obviously worried for her safety.

Lantash nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "We should still keep a guard tonight. Even if there are no dangerous animals, there are still the Jaffa. I do not believe we were discovered by that deathglider earlier today, but..."

Sam sighed. "I agree. Better safe than sorry. I'll go take a look now, then we should get something to eat. I'm starving."

"Martouf and I are hungry as well. I will prepare dinner for us while you look outside." He quickly stepped up beside her and pulled her into a hug, kissing her deeply. "Be careful, my beloved." He smiled at her, his eyes shining.

Sam was dazed from the kiss for a moment, before she regained herself. She smiled back at him. "Always." She went outside, fantasizing about what she would like to do with Martouf and Lantash when they got to safety. 

* * *

><p>The night was uneventful, if somewhat colder than it had been in the forest. It was near morning when Martouf - who had the current watch - saw a deathglider streak across the reddening sky. It did not come closer, so he decided against waking up either Sam or Lantash, who had fallen asleep as well.<p>

He waited until the first rays of the sun hit the mountain behind him, before he woke up Lantash. He agreed the deathglider had probably just been on patrol, and that it was nothing to be concerned about. They went to prepare breakfast and wake Samantha, so they could get an early start on the day's journey. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow they would be at the chaapa'ai.

*Samantha has been very quiet since we left the hut. I do not think she regrets mating with us, but I fear she is trying to convince herself it would be better for all of us not to be mates,* Lantash observed, while they were putting the rest of the food into the backpacks and preparing to leave.

*I am aware of that.* Martouf sighed. *I do not know what we can do. I suspect she has decided it will not work, and that neither the Council nor Stargate Command will accept our relationship.*

*I care not what either of them say!* Lantash scoffed. *She loves us - and we love her. We have already wasted far too much time being afraid of our emotions and of what someone might think! We almost died! I am not going to permit this second chance to make Samantha our mate, to fail. We _must_ succeed.*

Martouf agreed, looking towards Sam, walking quite fast a few steps ahead of them,  
>clearly deep in thought. *Soon we will be back in the tunnels or on the Tau'ri. There we will not have as good opportunities to talk to Samantha about this. Worse, unless I am very much mistaken, she will not wish to show what she feels in front of her team mates. She has always been very guarded about showing emotion.*<p>

*True. We must discuss it with her before we leave this planet. We should arrive at the chaapa'ai tomorrow morning, very early. It gives us somewhat less than a day to talk to her.*

*Do you wish control, or should I approach her about this?* Martouf wondered.

*I still think she is more comfortable around you - and this subject is sensitive enough that we do not want to disturb her further. You talk to her.*

*Lantash, I do not agree she is uncomfortable around you - and if she is to become our mate, she must accept us both equally. I will not have it any other way.*

*Thank you.* Lantash sent warm feelings to his host.

Martouf sighed and walked a little faster, catching up to Sam.

"Samantha...may I speak with you?"

"Of course, Martouf." She looked up and slowed her steps. "What is it?"

"Have you had time to think more about what we talked of some days ago? Of becoming our mate?"

Sam gave him a quick look. "Ah, yes, well...Martouf, it's only been a few days..."

He nodded. "That is true. However, Lantash and I will soon be returning to the tunnels, and you will go to the Tau'ri. Even with the best intentions, it will be difficult to meet often." He smiled, a little shyly.

"Listen, we'll see how it goes - and try to meet as often as possible, but this is one of the major reasons why it might not be so easy to get things to work out. Even if I do love you...and I do." Sam smiled at him, a little sadly.

"We have offered to move to the Tau'ri. We will talk to the Council as soon as we return to the tunnels."

"Yes...and it's very sweet of you, but I can't ask you to do that. Even if they - and the SGC - says yes, it might not be good for you to live on Earth." Sam sighed. "You know as well as I do that there is some tension between my people and yours. I'm afraid there might be some who wouldn't treat you nicely - and I very much doubt they'd even allow you to leave the base. I can't do that to you!"

"You are not asking me - I am offering. Samantha, do not be concerned. We will _make_ the Council - and Stargate Command - see reason. And Lantash and I can take care of ourselves."

Sam nodded, not looking convinced. "I still think we should wait and see how everything goes."

Martouf sighed. "We will give you the time you need to make your decision, of course. We told you that before. However, please do not decide it will not work without even giving it a chance. You are much too hard on yourself. You have the right to some happiness. We all do."

He pulled her to him, kissing her. Sam returned the kiss almost immediately, embracing him. The kiss was not long, but it was full of love - and some sadness. When they let go of each other, Sam sighed, caressing his cheek with a hand.

"I really do hope this works out..." Sam whispered in a low voice as she stepped away from him, "...or I'm very much afraid my heart will break." 

* * *

><p>They walked for the rest of the day with few breaks, and continued through most of the night as well, only allowing themselves a few hours of sleep. The sky had not yet started to lighten when they left the mountainous terrain. After a short walk through an area with trees and bushes scattered sparsely about, they had entered a thick jungle.<p>

"We are almost at the Stargate. I think I remember from Jolinar that there's a lush forest surrounding it," Sam said.

"Correct. If you concentrate, you should be able to sense the signal from it much clearer now. It is very strong."

Sam was quiet for a moment, mentally searching for the energy signature from the naquadah. Soon, she felt the resonance in her blood, like she had done the first time he told her to try, only the signal was much stronger now. It was obvious it was nearby.

Of course, there was one signal that almost drowned out all others for her when she felt for them; the energy signature from a symbiote. Lantash. Oh, so very familiar. She had realised it before, but now it was even clearer to her. It was obvious to her that it would be possible to recognize a symbiote this way, if it was one that you were _intimately_ familiar with.

The image of them together, making love, popped into her mind. The stab of lust was so strong she gasped, before she quickly forced her thoughts away from the subject. She took a deep breath and looked around her.

The air was heavy with the scents of flowers and greenery. The sky had just started to redden, and the animals of the forest were waking up. Now and then a strange bird could be heard, calling out. Otherwise, it was peaceful. She had a moment of strong desire to go to Martouf and Lantash, throw her arms around them and kiss them senseless.

Right now she never wanted to leave this place, but she knew they had to get away. It was not safe here, despite how peaceful it seemed, and they had information for the Tok'ra and Earth. She sighed and walked on.


	14. Enemies at the Gate & Land of the Light

Martouf quietly stepped up beside Sam, and she jumped a little, surprised. She again marveled at his ability to walk without a sound. She had not heard him walk towards her, despite the fact that his path to her must have been filled with little twigs and branches. Impressive.

He had been scouting the area to see how many enemies they would have to fight, and Sam turned to hear what he had to say.

"I apologize for startling you." He put a hand on her arm. "There are four Jaffa on guard. One on each side of the chaapa'ai, and two about 30 feet in front of it." Martouf whispered to Sam. "There doesn't seem to be anyone else within about a mile, so if we can take out these and move fast, we should be able to get away."

"Four Jaffa. That wouldn't be a problem if I had my MP5. With this?" She held up her zat'nik'tel. "I'm not sure. We'll have to get fairly close, and the area directly around the Stargate is very open - there's at least 50-60 feet to the nearest trees and bushes."

"The zat'nik'tels are not out only weapons. I have a hand device. With that I should be able to at the very least stun all of them before they can either shoot us or raise the alarm."

Sam nodded. "All right." Martouf put on his hand device and was about to sneak off to hit the Jaffa, when suddenly Sam pulled him back, throwing her arms around him. "Be careful!" She kissed him.

Martouf smiled and returned the kiss. "I will."

They walked as quietly as possible to the edge of the clearing where the Stargate was located. Sam almost groaned at herself every time she made a sound, however small it was. Martouf, of course, was somehow able to traverse the distance without stepping on or touching anything that could snap or crack. The Tok'ra certainly earned their reputation for being stealthy.

Sam watched as Martouf gave over control to Lantash, who was somewhat better at using the hand device. He raised his hand and the crystal in the middle glowed. He aimed at the nearest of the unsuspecting Jaffa, and then sent out a strong shock wave. It slammed into the Jaffa and carried him ten-fifteen feet through the air before he hit the ground. He did not attempt to get up or even move.

The three other Jaffa turned to see what had happened. Since they had not detected the shock wave, they ran to their comrade to see what had happened.

Lantash smirked when all three Jaffa placed themselves near the one he had hit. He would most likely be able to get them all with a somewhat wider blast. Of course, a wide shock wave would not be as powerful as a more focused one, but he felt confident it would be strong enough. He concentrated, and sent off the most powerful blast he could.

It hit the three standing Jaffa with an incredible power, throwing them almost as far as their friend had been, scattering them over the area.

Sam and Lantash waited for a short time, but when none of the Jaffa moved, they relaxed and carefully stepped out in the clearing.

"Wow, Lantash!" Sam said, partially awed and partially shocked, as she checked on one of the Jaffa. He was out cold, possibly dying or at the very least badly wounded. "I'm impressed! I didn't know it was possible to put that much force behind one of those shock waves! Hand devices are even more dangerous than I thought!"

"Thank you." He smiled wryly at her. "I must admit I was surprised with the result myself...and now I am feeling quite hungry."

"Yes, we didn't take a break to get anything to eat last night, and we barely got any most of the day before - I'm famished myself."

He nodded. "Using the hand device also takes some energy from its user, though I would not usually feel this..._drained_ after only a few blasts, even as strong as these were. No, it was a mistake not eating something, despite our desire to reach the chaapa'ai quickly."

"Are you okay?" Sam hurriedly took off her backpack and opened it, starting to go through it. "You should get something to eat."

Lantash smiled. "Don't worry about me and Martouf, Samantha. We will be fine. This just made me realise how hungry I am - I am not sick or anything, and we will not suddenly pass out." He leaned in and gave her a kiss. "Come - we should leave before more Jaffa show up."

Sam had searched her bag for something quick and easy to eat. Martouf and Lantash might well be fine, but she did not want them to feel even a little weak because they had not eaten anything for a long time. Not when she could do anything about it.

"Damn I didn't think I'd say this, but I really miss our energy bars. Well, I guess this will work." She took out some dried meat and an apple. "Here."

"I really am fine. Come, Samantha." Lantash look uneasily in the direction where the Jaffa would come from, expecting to see them any moment. He stepped up to the DHD and started dialing.

Sighing, Sam stuffed two apples and some dried meat into the not-quite big enough pocket her dress had, then closed the backpack and put it back on. "Coming."

The wormhole opened, and they hurried towards it. Just as they stepped through it, they heard angry shouts from far behind them. The Jaffa!

As soon as they were on the other planet, Sam and Lantash ran to a nearby group of trees, taking up position behind them, their weapons at the ready. They waited for a few moments, then the Stargate shut down without anyone coming through.

"They _may_ have seen the address," Lantash said, running back to the DHD and starting to dial a new address. "We should continue to another world immediately."

"Agreed."

A few moments later they had safely exited the Stargate on another planet, effectively throwing the Jaffa off, even if they should have happened to see the first address.

"I am unsure if this 'the Land of the Light' is the same one I have heard of. Are these the coordinates?" Lantash pointed at the glyphs on the DHD.

"Yeah - it is!" Sam stared at him. "How do you know? Have the Tok'ra visited them?"

"Yes, but it has been some time now, at least 40 or 50 years. I have never been there, but several other Tok'ra have. We were trying to help them after the local Goa'uld left, however, another minor System Lord attempted to take over the planet and we had to stop our assistance, or they would have been punished. I believe we learned that Goa'uld had given up the planet again, and that no one is currently laying active claim to it. However, the Council has not felt we have the resources to help the people there right now." He sighed. "That is too often the case. There are a great many people in this Galaxy in need of assistance, and we can only do something for a very few, especially since we have to do so in secret."

"Well, you _are_ fighting to take down the Goa'uld once and for all, freeing all these people. Even if it will not happen right now, it _will_ hopefully happen eventually. That is worth more than anything else you could do."

"Thank you. That _is_ what sustains us in the face of all adversity, the belief that the people of this Galaxy will eventually be free of slavery and injustice."

"No one is after us right now. Let's eat something, then go on to the Land of the Light, hmm?" Sam took out one of the apples, and waved it temptingly in front of him. 

* * *

><p>After the light meal, they stepped out on the planet P3X-797, which 'the Land of the Light' was a part of. Sam looked around in the semi-darkness, feeling a little uneasy despite knowing there was no one lurking in the shadows this time. Every one of the 'touched' had been cured and returned to their friends and family.<p>

She shook off the strange feeling of doom, and turned to Lantash. "Well, as I said earlier, we have kept in touch with the people here, sending SG teams regularly. I think there was actually one bound to visit them around now, so if we're lucky, they're still here. In any case, there should be a radio, so we'll be going home soon anyway."

"Yes, I remember you told me. That is...good," Lantash said, frowning. He was not so sure he really felt that. Yes, it was good they would be able to warn the Tok'ra about Zipacna's research. Even if he believed they had destroyed all of it, the Goa'uld would still have knowledge of it, and might have other scientists who had studied the symbiote poison. Lantash did not think so, since Zipacna - like most Goa'uld - rarely shared knowledge with more people than what was absolutely necessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry, as the Tau'ri said.

No, that was not why he felt sadness and concern over returning to the tunnels. Samantha had gone back to being guarded about her emotions, and had not wanted to give him and Martouf any promises. He understood her reluctance, since a relationship between them might be difficult. However, he was prepared to fight to make it work, and to get permission to stay at Stargate Command - why would she not let him do that? If only they had a little more time together, then perhaps, he could have made her see this. He sighed.

Sam looked at him. They were almost at the 'Land of the Light', so it was no longer dark and she could see him clearly. He did not look happy. Realising why, she felt sorry for him - and ashamed at her own indecision. She loved him and Martouf, and they loved her - should that not be enough?

"Listen...Lantash..." She began, then stopped when she heard someone coming towards them.

"Samantha, I will be giving control to Martouf now, since I am uncertain how they would react to me," He said quickly in a low voice, then bowed his head, giving control to Martouf.

A group of people stood waiting for them just as they left the forest and came out into the full daylight.

"Welcome, travellers, let us take you to 'the Land of the Light'." The man bowed to them, smiling.

"Hello, I am Major Samantha Carter from Earth. This is my...friend and companion, Martouf."

"Greetings." Martouf made the traditional half-bow of the Tok'ra.

"Come, friends from Earth. You are always welcome here, and especially the one called Samantha Carter, a member of the famous SG-1," The man who had spoken earlier said. "Let us take you to High Councilor Tuplo. He has met your kind before, and will be most pleased to meet you." 

* * *

><p>"Captain...<em>Major<em> Samantha Carter." Tuplo smiled at her, then Martouf. "And Martouf. I am most pleased to meet a friend of Major Carter's. You are both most welcome. We became..._concerned_ when your friends had to leave so quickly, and more so when we could not contact your people despite several attempts. We are pleased you have resolved whatever problem existed. Now, we will prepare a feast for you, to celebrate our eternal friendship."

"Eh, thanks." Sam frowned. "Um, who was here and when? Did they say why they left? You have really not been able to contact Earth?"

"I believe they called themselves 'SG-4'. They arrived almost seven days ago, and stayed for only one day before they were recalled. I understand there was some sort of emergency, but we were told they would return when all was again well, so we did not worry overly. Do you not know this?" He looked at her, strangely.

"We have...been out of communication. Stranded on another planet." Martouf told him.

Tuplo nodded. "Ah, that explains your strange attire, which is very different from what I have come to expect of your people. In that case I fear my news will concern you. When we did not hear anything from your people in four days, we attempted to contact them, but we had no success. The result has been the same the three more times we have attempted it."

"So today it has been six days since...whatever happened that was important enough to recall SG-4 took place." Sam looked concerned. "And you haven't been able to contact Stargate Command today or yesterday..."

"That is correct. I am sorry to bring such troublesome tidings," Tuplo said, looking unhappy.

"What happened precisely when you attempted to contact the Tau'ri...I mean, _Stargate Command_?" Martouf asked. "Did a wormhole open, but no one answered your radio message, or did you not achieve a lock at all?"

"I...do not know much about how the...the _Stargate_ as you call it, works. We entered the glyphs that your people gave to us. Normally, ah, the...the wormhole? would make a large flush, then become a wall as if made of water. We would then send a signal with the..._radio_ and we would soon after get an answer. This time, when the large red button was pressed, there was no flush, and no wall of water. It merely turned off the lighted symbols."

"It wouldn't connect," Sam translated.

"It does not have to mean it has been buried or destroyed. It could simply already be connected to another chaapa'ai," Martouf said.

"I know, but they've tried four times! If it's been busy every time, then either someone keeps dialing in and keeping it open - like Sokar did; the gate is connected to a black hole or caught in a time loop, or some other nasty thing, or...a massive evacuation is going on and the gate's open most of the time to get people and stuff through. I can't think of any other reasons why it wouldn't be connecting, if it hasn't been buried or destroyed." She looked desolate. "I don't know which of the explanations are the worst."

Martouf stepped closer to her and put his arm around her. "Your people are both talented and ingenious. They will survive, although I will readily admit that they would in a better situation if you were there with them. Alas, I must admit a large part of me is very glad you are safely here with me." He smiled bleakly at her.

"Thanks." She gave him a small smile. "I hope you're right and Earth does make it. I just wish I was there to _do_ something, instead of being here and not even knowing what is going on!"

"We should try to connect to the Tau'ri chaapa'ai before anything else. It may be working again." Martouf looked at Tuplo, who had been attempting to follow their discussion without much success. "How long has it been since the last attempt?"

"Almost four hours." 

* * *

><p>It was late evening. Sam and MartoufLantash had made three attempts to open a connection to Earth's Stargate, none of them successful. Tuplo and his people had made a lavish dinner for them, which they would have enjoyed greatly had the situation been different. As it was, they ate politely from the various delicacies, then retired to the bed chamber that had been set aside for them. Apparently Tuplo or one of the others had guessed Sam and Martouf/Lantash's relationship, because they had been given a room with only one - quite large - bed.

Sam was ready to go to bed, and sat propped against the pillows, wearing a thin blue nightgown she had been given. She had been deep in thought, but looked up as Martouf/Lantash came from the small bathroom, wearing the sleepwear he had been provided with - a tunic-like garment reaching half-way to his knees. It was white, but decorated along the hems with a blue-green pattern, which looked like it might have been found in ancient Greece. It was tied together with a thin leather belt. Sam smiled at the sight of him.

"My appearance amuses you, my Samantha?" Martouf wondered, smiling back at her.

"Not at all - I am just not used to seeing you in, ah, something like that." She grinned. "It's not exactly your style."

"I have worn many different kinds of clothes. This is not bad compared to some."

"Yeah..." She suddenly giggled. "Oh, my god! I just remembered something you once wore - when you...pretended to be Jolinar's _lo'tar_?"

"Ah, well. Yes." Martouf reddened slightly. "I had not expected _that_ memory to come to you."

"You know, I actually like what you're wearing. It's certainly...provocative, I guess. I doubt very many men would willingly put that on." She patted the bed beside her. "Come, join me." She winked and smiled invitingly at him.

Martouf grinned broadly. "Oh, with pleasure, my love." 

* * *

><p>Sam awoke early next morning, from the sun shining through the thin curtains fluttering in the light wind. Outside, birds were singing. All seemed completely peaceful. For a few moments she just lay there, enjoying life. She looked at MartoufLantash sleeping beside her, the blanket having slid down so she could see his naked chest.

She was so very temped to pull it further down, wanting to admire his body without anything covering it. She idly thought about the night before, and felt a stab of desire as she remembered their passionate love-making.

She sighed. To be honest, part of her wanted nothing more than to be able to stay here, making love with Martouf and Lantash for the rest of her life, but they should get up and try to dial Earth again. She was very worried about what might have happened. She gently kissed Martouf before she slid out of bed.

"Mpfh?" He said, sleepily. "Samantha?"

"I'm here, Martouf. I thought we'd get up and get some breakfast - then head out and see if we can make a connection to Earth."

He stretched, then yawned mightily before slowly sitting up. "You are correct, of course, though I wish we had more time to spend just enjoying life - and each other." He smiled at her. "I very much hope we will find time for a...a _vacation_, I believe Jacob called it. There are many places Lantash and I would like to show you."

"I'd like to show you some of Earth, too." She sighed. "That is, if there's anything left to show. Martouf...what do we do if we can't establish a wormhole this time either?"

"Well, we could stay here and try again later."

"No. If we can't get through, we should find another way of contacting Earth. Going to Cimmeria will do us little good, as they don't even have a radio - and if we can't dial Earth from here, there's no reason why we should be able to from anywhere else. Frankly, I have no idea what to do. Steal a ship and fly there, perhaps? Do you or Lantash have any other suggestions?"

"Stealing a ship is an option, though travelling to the world of the Tau'ri would take a long time from here, unless we got a relatively new and fast ship. This planet is very far away. We could perhaps try to find the Tok'ra, and hope they have some information about what is happening on the Tau'ri."

"I'm afraid they've moved all their bases after the attack, and I don't think they have settled anywhere permanent yet."

"Which means going to Cimmeria or another Asgard planet will not help us with that," Martouf said, then saw Sam's uncomprehending expression. "After the Asgard installed exceptions for Tok'ra in their devices, we have had a small - safety box, I guess is the best word - installed on each of the protected planets. It contains information about the location of a small outpost or base, so that a Tok'ra who has been gone for a long time will always be able to find their way back."

"That's extremely useful!" Sam exclaimed. "Why haven't you guys told us about them? They would certainly have come in handy now and then!"

"They would do you little good, Samantha. Only someone who is a current host to a Tok'ra is able to open it. It _has_ to be this way, or it would be a grave danger to us."

"Why? If no Goa'uld or Jaffa can go there?"

"They could force a human slave to get the information. No, this is the only way it will work. Regardless, if the Tok'ra have not settled permanent bases yet, there will be no current information to find. We will have to find them another way." He sighed.

"Well, perhaps it won't be an issue. Come, let's go eat, then try the Stargate."


	15. Another Option

"Well, that didn't work!" Sam said, looking desolately at the Stargate as it shut down for the forth time. "Have you thought of a way to find the Tok'ra?"

Martouf nodded. "Yes, I believe so. In an emergency situation, most operatives will be recalled, unless letting them stay contains absolutely no danger to them or the rest of the Tok'ra. This attack was carried out by Zipacna, so normally all operatives placed among him and his allies will have been told to flee, unless there are extra-ordinary reasons not to. If the situation is grave, agents in other positions may have been recalled as well. However, there are operatives who are undercover with minor Goa'uld, unaffiliated with any of the major ones. It is unlikely any of those will have been withdrawn."

"Well, that does sound reasonable, though the Tok'ra actually hadn't recalled Jorra from his position at the court of Zipacna, and the last I know Zarin was still there as well, though she may have fled after helping my team and my dad to flee. At least I think she did that, and I doubt she could have avoided Zipacna finding out."

"Really? If the Council has left agents with Zipacna, they must be desperate indeed." He looked thoughtful. "Though I suppose it could be because the situation is different from any the Tok'ra has been in for a very long time. They may fear Zipacna intends to attack again, and so hope to learn of his plans before he puts them into effect. The Goa'uld are not usually very persistent, nor good at acquiring intelligence. After an attack on a Tok'ra base, it would be rare to have another for many years. I wonder what has changed, to make Zipacna behave differently?"

Sam shook her head. "No idea. I hope it's not our fault, for stirring up stuff in the Galaxy." She sighed. "I suppose we can't contact Jorra?"

"No, I fear that would be much too dangerous. Zipacna and many of his Jaffa know our appearance. No, we must contact one of those operatives who are at a minor Goa'uld."

"Okay. Do you know where any are?"

"Because of the time that has passed since Lantash and I got any updates...for _obvious_reasons...there are only a few operatives that might still be in place. I believe our best chance is to go to Korra. He was undercover at the court of Khepri. That Goa'uld was a fairly important, though still minor System Lord, allied with Ra, but after Ra was killed by your people, Khepri lost most of his influence. He is not considered a danger right now, and it is doubtful he will ally himself with anyone that is working with Zipacna. As you know, Zipacna and Apophis were among Ra's worst enemies. Korra was sent there a few months before the summit with the Tau'ri, and his mission was to be long-term, so it is highly likely he is still there."

"Okay, we'll go visit him then, and hope he's got some news for us."

Martouf nodded. "I believe that is our best option. Samantha, you must understand that Korra is undercover _at_ Khepri's court, living in his palace. This means Khepri will almost certainly be there, and we will have to be _very_ careful. It will be very dangerous. Lantash would be in control, of course, and we would be pretending to be a Goa'uld _all the time_. We cannot risk doing anything that would be out of character, so you _must not_question anything we say, or disobey me in any way. You will go as my lo'tar, which would be the only way for a human to be allowed to accompany me when we go to talk to Korra. One more thing, as there is a Goa'uld present, we will have to make it worth his while to allow us to visit - he will not let someone in just because they claim to be associated with an underling of his. We must appear relatively powerful and rich, and we must bring gifts."

"Wow, that's a lot." Sam looked unsure. "Aren't there any other undercover agents we can go visit?"

"Unfortunately, the Tok'ra operatives rarely have their own little domains. It happens, but it is rare, and I am not certain I can trust the information I have anymore. It is probably outdated."

"Okay, then. How do we solve the 'rich and powerful' problem?"

"The Tok'ra have hidden caches with valuables, if one of us should need them and be unable to contact a base. They are less well hidden than the information boxes on the protected planets, as there would not really be any danger from someone finding a cache. We will go and find one of them and use it to purchase clothes, gifts, and a small entourage."

* * *

><p>"There were not supposed to be any Goa'uld presence on this world - it must have been taken over<br>again quite recently," Martouf observed in a low voice.

"Are you sure it's the right planet?" Sam shook her head. "Of course you are. Sorry."

Martouf sighed. "It is the right world. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for previously unoccupied planets to be reconquered. We must hope the Jaffa leave after they have eaten, and that we will be able to escape safely. I hold no great hope that we will be able to get to the hidden cache, but there are many other planets with similar stashes, so that is not a problem."

They were hiding in a small patch of dense forest, waiting for a group of Jaffa to finish their meal and move away from the very inconvenient spot they had placed themselves in.

Sam and Martouf/Lantash had arrived on the planet not quite two hours ago, and immediately seen signs that a group of Jaffa had passed by less than a day ago.

They had just decided to continue on to a stash on another planet, when they had heard someone approach and had had to find a place to hide quickly. The group of Jaffa had walked up to the Stargate and dialed it up. When the wormhole had established, two of them had walked through, while the rest stayed on the planet.

Unfortunately, they had not even left the area, but had built a fire a short distance away from the Stargate. After some time, another group of Jaffa had approached the first, carrying a deer they had caught. The first group had greeted them happily, and the Jaffa had set out to roast the meat.

Sam looked out at the Jaffa and groaned softly, realising they were in for a _long_wait. The deer was clearly not cooked yet, and the Jaffa were entertaining themselves with songs and gambling while they waited.

"What do we do?" Sam whispered. "Jaffa do not drink alcohol, so there is no hope of them getting drunk and becoming inattentive or falling asleep - actually, they don't sleep at all!"

"There is little we can do but wait." Martouf looked about. "Darkness is falling. Perhaps, if we are very quiet, we will soon be able to sneak further away under its cover. We might find a place we can safely sleep, and maybe eat some food as well, if we are lucky. I believe _that_would be a good direction in which to crawl." He pointed to the left and behind him.

* * *

><p>They had gotten some distance away from the Jaffa, and were in the small, nearby village. Martouf frowned as he looked at the place; a couple of the houses had been burnt to the ground, and there were several freshly dug graves at the outskirts of the village.<p>

"I have been here before. The people on this planet are friendly and some of them would usually be up and about at this time. The planet is very fertile and it takes little work for them to produce more than enough food for everyone here. They are known as skilled artists and musicians, and consider enjoying life to be very important. I fear they have had a very rough awakening."

"It looks as if the Jaffa have been quite heavy-handed, yeah," Sam agreed, unhappily. "If you've been here before, do you know of a place we can hide?"

Martouf nodded. "Yes. Normally, we could have asked anyone here, and they would gladly have allowed us to stay, but I fear they may not willingly open their door to anyone right now. I would suggest hiding in one of the large, communal barns. I believe we have arrived after harvest this year, so they would be full, and there should be ample opportunities to hide."

"Unless the Jaffa have emptied or burned the places down..."

"Yes...there is unfortunately that possibility. We must hope they have not had time to plunder this place yet."

Martouf lead them to the area on the other side of the city, where the stables, barns and granaries were located. It turned out the Jaffa _had _looted some, but not everything. After some looking around, Sam and Martouf/Lantash found a barn with a loft full of hay.

They had just closed the door behind them, when they heard yet another Jaffa patrol outside. Quickly - and quietly - they ran up the ladder to the loft. Sam winced when a plank in the floor of the loft creaked loudly under her feet, and she and Martouf/Lantash stood very still, barely daring to breathe, as they heard the Jaffa patrol walk past outside, the noise from their armour and marching feet disappearing in the distance.

Sighing from relief, they found a place in the hay at the far end of the room, where they could hide. Exhausted and cold from sitting in an uncomfortable position in the forest for several hours, and then walking around looking for a place to hide, they curled up in the hay and fell asleep, huddled closely together.

* * *

><p>"Wake up! Human scum!" The Jaffa yelled at them.<p>

Martouf sat up straight, as he opened his eyes and tried to figure out what was going on. It sounded like Jaffa - and he could sense several symbiotes. How could he and Lantash not have detected their approach? Why was it so dark in here?

He immediately realised the answer to his question, as he felt the tell-tale lingering pain and other effects of a stun grenade. The Jaffa must have decided that it was better to take precautions before searching any place that could contain hidden enemies. How unusually cautious and wise of them - perhaps the locals had been causing them trouble?

*We have been stunned.* Lantash confirmed, having just woken up as well. *I am working to negate the effects. We should be able to see again momentarily.*

"What's going on? Why is it completely dark?" Sam complained.

"Jaffa. We have been stunned," Martouf told her quickly in a low voice.

"Quiet, human, and get up!" One of the Jaffa demanded, giving both of them a nasty kick to their ribs.

Martouf and Sam stumbled to their legs, and began following the Jaffa back towards the ladder. Martouf and Lantash's vision were beginning to clear, and they decided to take advantage of the fact that they could see again, long before the Jaffa would expect them to be able to.

They surreptitiously looked around them, confirming that there were no other enemies present besides the three Jaffa who's symbiotes they sensed. Martouf gave Lantash control, and he pretended to stumble and fall.

The Jaffa swore at him, and two of them grabbed his arms and lifted him up. He swayed, then suddenly straightened and moved quickly. Seizing the two Jaffa who were still holding on to him loosely, he pushed them together so that their heads slammed against each other. While they were still stunned, he grabbed the knives of each of them, jabbing it into their symbiote pouches and making them double over.

Before the third Jaffa could react, Lantash had snatched the zat'nik'tel from one of the wounded Jaffa and twirled to face the un-injured enemy. The third Jaffa raised his weapon to fire, but Lantash was faster, shooting him once, then twice.

The Jaffa fell, and Lantash turned to the two other Jaffa, who were still doubled over. He wasted no time shooting them twice as well, killing them.

Sam had stumbled during the commotion, and was now sitting in the hay nearby. She had listened to the combat noise with increasing concern, and now when everything had become quiet, she could not be silent anymore.

"Martouf? Lantash? Are you okay? What happened?" She asked, very worried.

Having made sure the three Jaffa were indeed dead, Lantash ran to her.

"Samantha! We are fine. Are you all right?"

"Yes, mostly. I still can't see anything, but I believe the blackness is beginning to lift a little. What happened?"

"I have dispatched the three Jaffa that had captured us. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Can you move?"

"Yes, absolutely - but all I can see is a grey fog."

Lantash nodded, then realised she could not see that. "I understand. My vision has returned to normal, so I will assist you. I will go get our weapons, which must still be lying where we were sleeping. We need the hand device if I am to pretend to be a Goa'uld when we get to Khepri's planet. They are not available for sale under normal circumstances, so we cannot get one on the planet where we will be going for clothing, servants, and gifts."

"Okay. I won't go anywhere!" Sam said wryly.

Lantash returned shortly after, carrying their weapons and the backpacks with food and water. He handed the lightest of the bags to Sam, and she put it on as she got up again.

"Is your vision any better?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Everything is foggy, but I can see shapes now. I'll be fine in no time!"

"Good," Lantash said, relieved. "More Jaffa may arrive at any moment, so we really should leave as soon as possible."

Sam looked around her, the world slowly beginning to come more into focus. She noticed the three Jaffa lying on the floor.

"Lantash - are you sure you're okay?" She looked at the Jaffa, then worriedly towards Lantash. "They didn't injure you?"

He smiled, pleased at her concern for him. "No, not at all. I have been in many combat situations which were much more dangerous or difficult than this one. It was no real problem - the Jaffa did not know I could see again already, so they were not prepared for my attack. It was really very easy."

Sam nodded slowly, very relieved he had not been wounded.

* * *

><p>They managed to find another place to hide, but ended up having to wait almost until morning before they were able to sneak back to the Stargate.<p>

Fortunately, there were no Jaffa there right then, and they quickly dialed out, going to another planet where the Tok'ra had hidden a cache of valuables.

While they had been waiting, Sam had had ample time to think about things. The danger they had just been in, where they - where Martouf and Lantash - had risked their lives and fought the Jaffa...it made her rethink her decisions. She had more or less decided it was too difficult to make it work between them - with her and them living on different worlds and with the people at the SGC as Tok'ra unfriendly as they were.

Now, however, she realised she could not _not_ be together with Martouf and Lantash. She loved them, and she would _not_ give up this chance of being happy with them. It was worth the risk - and who knew? Maybe they _could _actually make it work. She was certainly going to try!

This planet had turned out to not have any Goa'uld or Jaffa presence, and they quickly located the Tok'ra stash. There were more than enough to equip a minor Goa'uld and his entourage, as well as buying lavish gifts.

* * *

><p>"Are you really sure you want me to wear this?" Sam asked, stepping out of the small dressing room.<p>

She did not exactly feel comfortable in these kinds of clothes. The shoulder-less top was short, leaving her midriff bare, and the skirt hung low on her hips. While it was ankle length, it had slits in both sides that went up to her upper thighs. The material of both was soft silk, of a deep blue colour, and over her shoulders hung a very thin, translucent scarf or veil. It was made of silk as well, but a very pale blue. She wore sandals of soft leather, with thin strips making a criss-cross pattern up her lower calves.

Lantash smiled broadly, as he looked admiringly at her. "Absolutely! Right up to the point where I take it off you... "

Sam rolled her eyes. "How surprising..."

Lantash grinned, then studied her appearance more closely. "I think you need some jewelry - it will look good on you, and it will make me appear richer and more powerful."

They went to the nearest jeweller, and Lantash picked out several pieces for Sam - a gold choker, an armlet shaped as a snake that wrapped around her upper arm, two bracelets, as well as an ankle bracelet and several rings.

"Okay, this stuff is really beautiful, but aren't you overdoing it just a bit?" Sam said.

"Not at all. As you well know, Goa'uld are not known for their subtlety. This is fairly modest."

Sam nodded slowly. "For a Goa'uld, yeah, but I mean, I'm just supposed to be your lo'tar, right? I didn't think they were usually dressed this lavishly."

"Sometimes they are, especially if they are the lo'tar of a very minor Goa'uld, who wishes to impress the more important ones. In any case, you will be, ah, _more_ than just a lo'tar." He blushed a little. "You will be my _me'tar_ as well. It will make you more important, and even better protected. No one would _dare _harm you." He sighed. "No one would normally dare touch the lo'tar of another Goa'uld, but since Korra is only Khepri's underling, and I would be even lower..."

"You wanted to take this extra precaution." Sam smiled. "Thanks. By the way - what does me'tar mean?"

"Human consort."

"Human _consort_? Ah...I didn't know a Goa'uld would have a _human _consort."

Lantash nodded. "Minor Goa'uld without their own domain sometimes take a human consort. It is frowned upon by some, but accepted. Such a human may achieve quite a high position, though it would not usually be an enviable one. If the Goa'uld should succeed and become more powerful, he or she would most likely implant a Goa'uld in their me'tar."

"Wonderful! Well, isn't it time we found some clothes for you?"

"It is. Come."

They chose an outfit in the Egyptian style for Lantash, since that matched Khepri's culture, and a very minor Goa'uld would not insult a System Lord by visiting him wearing something from a different culture.

For a Goa'uld, the clothes were almost modest - a knee-length white silk tunic, gold-embroidered along the hem, a leather belt inlaid with gold and silver, a crescent-shaped necklace made of several strings of gold and gemstones, a red cape, and leather sandals, much like those Sam wore, except Lantash's were made with broader strips.

Sam smiled at him wearing something so far from what he usually wore. "Different, but _nice_. It covers up a bit much, though..."

"That problem will be solved later." Lantash winked at her. "I'll even let you undress me!"


	16. Undercover

This story has been cut and rewritten slightly, to achieve a PG-13 rating. You can read the original version on Symbiotica, here: http : / / tokra . fandomnet . com / viewstory . php ? sid = 140 & chapter = 16 (remove all spaces)

* * *

><p>They dressed in their new clothes, and Lantash put on the hand device. After buying several lavish gifts, and hiring a group of servants to carry the presents, Sam and MartoufLantash left for Khepri's world.

The area just around the Stargate was very lush. It was obviously early summer and the trees were covered with light green leaves, and flowers grew everywhere. If there had not been a guards post with several alert Jaffa waiting for them, the place would have been perfect for a romantic picnic.

A man that was obviously the leader of the Jaffa immediately approached them, his men following closely behind with their weapons at the ready.

"Kree. What is your name and purpose with this visit, my Lord?"

"I am Lord Alim. Take me to Lord Khepri immediately, as I have business with him," Lantash said.

The Jaffa looked uncomfortable, but not quite ready to allow a strange Goa'uld access to his master.

"I apologize, but your name is not known to me. I do not doubt your importance, but I must respectfully ask the nature of your visit. I will then contact Lord Khepri and tell him you have arrived. I am sure..."

"Jaffa, _kree_! How _dare _you question me?" Lantash demanded, flashing his eyes and raising his hand device, letting it begin to glow softly.

The Jaffa bowed deeply. "I apologize, my Lord. We will of course take you to Lord Khepri immediately." Sam had followed the exchange with interest and some trepidation. She was amazed at Lantash's boldness, and even more so at the fact that his audacity worked. It was a very fascinating look into the dynamics of Goa'uld society.

They had only walked maybe fifteen minutes before they left the forest and came out into an open terrain. The small city surrounding Khepri's palace could be seen in the distance, with the palace itself towering over the small houses. Sam estimated it would take them no more than ten minutes to reach the city, and then maybe an additional ten to get to the palace.

* * *

><p>"So, you are Lord Alim, a friend of my loyal underling, Therkit?" Khepri said, looking rather uninterested. He assumed this would be another minor Goa'uld with no influence, who was hoping to use the familiarity with Therkit to increase his power by getting to work for Khepri. "What is your business here? I do not have any need of more underlings."<p>

"I am not here to apply for a position, merely to visit my brother for a few days. Since Therkit is in your employ, I have brought a few modest gifts for you, to make up for intruding upon your hospitality during this brief time," Lantash said smoothly, bowing deeply before waving the servants forward with the presents.

"Hmm." Khepri looked at the gifts that were being offered. They were quite a lot more lavish than he had expected from what was obviously a nobody. Of course, they were no more than he deserved, if he were to allow this stranger to share his palace for a few days. _If_ this Alim was indeed Therkit's brother. "I suppose it will not be _too_ much of an inconvenience to let you have the use of one of my smaller suites, for a few days..."

"Thank you, my most gracious Lord. Tell me...when can I meet Therkit?"

"He is currently investigating an irregularity in one of my naquadah mines. He should return later today." Khepri turned to his First Prime. "Take these trinkets to the treasury and show Lord Alim to the emerald chambers."

* * *

><p>It was several hours later before someone finally knocked on the door to Lantash's rooms. A Jaffa stood outside, announcing that Therkit had arrived, and was willing to receive Lord Alim.<p>

"Good. Take me to him, immediately," Lantash said, giving Sam a sign to follow as well.

"I apologize, but I do not believe your lo'tar was invited, my Lord."

"She is also my _me'tar_, and I wish to show her to Therkit. Dare you try to interfere in matters between my brother and I?" Lantash exclaimed, angrily.

The Jaffa paled and bowed deeply. "Of course not, my Lord. I apologize for my stupidity. Please forgive me!"

Lantash seemed to think it over, then nodded magnanimously. "I will overlook this transgression this _once_. See to it that it does not happen again!"

"I assure you. It will not." The Jaffa bowed even deeper, looking extremely relieved.

* * *

><p>The door closed behind Lantash and Sam, and they approached Korra.<p>

"Korra, old friend. It is good to see you!" Lantash smiled at him, keeping his voice low.

Korra shook his head slowly, disbelieving. "Lantash...and Martouf. I had not thought I would ever see you again. Some time ago, I was informed of Martouf's death, and the last transmission from the tunnels told of Lantash sacrificing his life to allow the escape of SG-1 and Jacob and Selmak..."

"The transmissions spoke the truth about my demise," Lantash said. "However, Zipacna's Jaffa found me and my new host in time to revive us in a sarcophagus, and Martouf was not as dead as you were informed. He, too, was revived, and we are again together, as you can see."

"It is truly wonderful." Korra smiled, still looking as if he did not truly dare believe it. "I must admit it sounds unfathomable. Why would the Council proclaim Martouf dead if he was not?"

"Believe it! It's them, Korra. I'm sure of it," Sam said, smiling.

"Samantha Carter! It is good to see you as well. I apologize for not greeting you earlier, but the shock and happiness of finding my good friends alive, temporarily robbed me of my manners."

"Don't worry about it - I reacted the same way when I found out."

Lantash sighed. "There was a group lead by Ren'al, who misinformed the Council - both of Martouf's condition and about my ability to heal his injuries. It is a long story, but I will tell it to you as far as I know it. I know mostly what I learned while in Elliot, and what I heard when Ren'al's group talked outside my tank. It only made sense afterwards, when I found Martouf was alive, or I would have informed the first who walked into the room my healing tank was kept in. As it was, I believed the Council knew, and that Martouf was dead, so nothing I did would have made a difference."

"It must have been a shock seeing him alive, then."

"It was. Nothing has ever made me happier than taking him as my host again - no one and nothing shall be allowed to part us again!" Lantash said, determinedly. "Not for the next 500 years or so - at _least_!"

"I have difficulties believing some of our own would do such a thing!" Korra shook his head. "Come, sit down. I have ordered food and drink. Tell me your story. I assume you are here because you do not have a...GDO? to go to the Tau'ri, and because you do not know the coordinates of any of our bases?"

"Correct," Lantash said, as he and Sam walked to join Korra at the table.

"Unfortunately, I do not currently have the address for any of our bases, As you well know, most Tok'ra are on the run after the attack on Revanna, and no permanent places have been chosen for bases yet."

"That is what we feared. Korra, do you have any knowledge of what is happening on the Tau'ri world?" Lantash wondered, looking towards Sam.

Korra shook his head. "No, but it has been more than 10 days since I last received any information. At that time the Tok'ra either knew nothing about it, or did not deem it relevant to include in the dispatches the undercover agents get."  
>Sam sighed. "I guess I suspected that."<p>

"Do not despair. I will inquire. Both about the Tau'ri and if there have been any semi-permanent bases or outposts constructed. Until I get this information, you are of course welcome to stay here as my guests."

* * *

><p>Sam sat on the bed, looking out the window, into the darkness. It was raining heavily and she could just barely make out the lights from the village around the palace. The darkness and rain fitted her mood - she was getting very concerned about Earth, and the thought of spending what might well be as long as a week or more in this place was not exactly a pleasant one.<p>

She sighed and straightened her short nightdress, trying to make it cover a little more than it did. She had bathed and was ready to go to bed, but she did not feel like it.

"That dress will not hide any more of your beautiful shape, regardless of how much you pull at it," Lantash said from behind her. "Martouf and I are thankful for that."

Sam turned to look at him, and could not stop herself from smiling. He had just been bathing, and instead of putting on his sleepwear, he was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. It did nothing to hide his reaction to her.

"Lantash. You look...very handsome," Sam said, blushing slightly. "_Very _attractive."

"Thank you, my Samantha." He smiled widely, then sobered. "You seemed deep in thought just before. Am I correct in assuming it is concern for your planet?"

Sam nodded. "Yes...Lantash, what if Earth has been destroyed? Or conquered?"

"Then we will mourn together. However, let us not assume the worst, when we do not yet have cause to do so. From what I have seen, your people are resilient. They will survive. If you are worried for your own future, then know that you will always be welcome among the Tok'ra."

"Thank you." Sam gave him a bleak smile. "You're right of course. No reason to expect the worst has happened, when we don't really know anything."

Lantash sat down beside her on the bed, not caring that the towel opened and slid off him as he did so. He took her hand and squeezed it. "No matter what happens, Martouf and I will be here for you. Always. Never doubt that."

She leaned against him. "I will never doubt that. Thank you." She looked up at him. "Lantash...I have had some time to think, and...I have realised I love you too much to not be your mate. It may be hard to get things to work out, but I do intend to try, so...if you still want me, I would very much like to...to be your mate." She felt her cheeks redden.

"You will? Samantha!" Lantash smiled widely. "Nothing could make Martouf and I happier than to claim you as our mate! We love you more than anything else!" He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. "My Samantha..." He deepened the kiss, sliding his hands down her back, and further down to the hem of her very short night dress. He quickly pulled it off her, leaving her naked except for her panties. He looked hungrily at her. "I want you so much. Please, my beloved, allow me to pleasure you. Allow me to let you forget your worries for tonight, and just enjoy life..."

Sam smiled warmly at him. "My sweet, beloved Lantash... Yes, let us forget our worries for tonight." Throwing her arms around him, she leaned in to kiss him.

They were soon lost in each other, forgetting for a time all their troubles.

* * *

><p>The next day Korra had still not received any news from the Tok'ra - not that they had truly expected it. Even under the best of circumstances it took several days to get information back and forth to an undercover operative - if it was even possible, which it often was not, due to the security risks involved. Korra, however, was in a position where it was possible to make such contact - as long as it was done very carefully.<p>

Meanwhile, Sam and Martouf/Lantash were his guests, or, more correctly, 'Lord Alim' was Lord Khepri's guest, but the Goa'uld was happy to leave his guest to his underling, 'Lord Therkit'.

* * *

><p>"Samantha?" Lantash walked over to the window where Sam was sitting, looking out at the village that surrounded the palace.<p>

It was the morning of the third day of their stay at the Goa'uld's palace, and they had just returned to their chambers after eating breakfast with Korra. There was still no news about Earth, and Sam was getting very nervous.

She turned around, smiling briefly at him. "Lantash. I was just thinking about how different this place is. Down there..." She pointed at the village, "...people are living a life as if it was the middle ages! Which it is, _here_. They are slaves! Property of Khepri." She shook her head. "If Earth is gone...I don't know if I can get used to living on another planet. I mean, I know the Tok'ra does not live like this, and they don't enslave anyone, but it is still a very different life, a different world. And...and what if Earth has been conquered? Will life there be like _that_?"

Lantash sighed. "Samantha, we do not know what has happened. Hopefully, Korra will soon get information about  
>your planet's fate, and we may learn that nothing bad has befallen it." He looked out the window and sighed again. "Yes, many people in this Galaxy are slaves of the Goa'uld. That is what both our people's are fighting to change...and we <em>will <em>succeed! Even if it takes a great many years, we will not give up. The Tok'ra will not surrender, and the Tau'ri will not surrender. We will succeed - together." He sat down beside her and put his arm around her.

Sam put her head on his shoulder. "I very much want to believe your are right." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I am usually a fairly optimistic person, but right now it is a bit hard."

"I understand, and I agree. It has been less than two weeks since I learned that a great many Tok'ra - a great many of my friends - have died. Sometimes everything seems dark, and it is hard to keep fighting and believing in victory. However, there is light in the darkness. Martouf and I are both alive and together again - and we have you, Samantha." He smiled warmly at her. "We love you very much, and we always will."

Sam smiled back at him, feeling better. "I love you too, both of you. Never doubt that."

"Thank you, we will not." Lantash looked thoughtful, frowning and looking down for a moment before he took a deep breath and turned to her. "There is one thing we should discuss...one thing that is of much importance to Martouf and I."

"Yes?" Sam asked, a little concerned at his seriousness.

"The life of a Tau'ri is short, and we do not want to lose you after only a short time, when we could possibly be together for many more years."

Sam swallowed. "You are talking about blending."

"Yes, we would like to know if you have given it any more thought."

She was silent for a time, then she nodded. "Yes...I have thought about it some. I am not completely sure, but I do think I may one day agree to blend." She looked into his eyes. "I do not want to leave you, when we have finally gotten together. Yes, I _will_ blend, but I don't know if I am ready, yet. Soon, though, I think."

Lantash looked very relieved. "Thank you very much for being honest...and for telling us this. We are both very happy to hear it." He kissed her.

Sam returned the kiss, which quickly grew more passionate. Lantash soon picked up Sam and carried her to the bed, where he sat down with her. They continued kissing and caressing each other, and he soon pushed her down on the bed. For the next considerate amount of time, all their concerns were forgotten in a haze of desire and love.


	17. Going Home

"If I'm reading this correctly, we've got about three and a half hours to the, uh, fail safe position - after that we'll be too close to Earth to be able to deflect the asteroid," Daniel said, looking at the display.

"Okay, then let's get this bomb in place, then. Since Teal'c is piloting the ship, you'll have to go EVA, Daniel," O'Neill said.

"Yeah, I remember. I'm not looking forward to it, but I can do it."

"McKay informed us we would pass through a cometary trail and that you should be ready to take cover," Teal'c reminded them.

Suddenly, the ship groaned loudly and began to shake.

"What was that?" O'Neill wondered.

"I am having difficulty with the sub-light engines," Teal'c informed him.

The ship shook again, and there was a loud rumbling.

Daniel looked up and at Teal'c. "Yes, you are."

A light on the panel came on and a beeping sound was heard.

"We are receiving a signal from another ship...it is the Tok'ra." He pushed a button and a Tok'ra appeared on the electronic viewscreen.

"_I am Jalen of the Tok'ra. We received your distress call and came as fast as we could. According to our readings, you are building up an overload in the control systems. Can we render assistance?_"

"Ah..." O'Neill looked unsure. "Yeah, sure, render away."

Jalen rolled her eyes. "_You are being pulled towards the asteroid too fast. Can you slow down?_"

"Negative. Sub-light engines just went out and maneuvering thrusters are not functioning," Teal'c told her.

"_Anise will be transporting over to assist you. Prepare to receive ring transport._" 

* * *

><p>"It was fortunate Jalen was able to pick me up on the way here." Anise closed the drawer with coloured crystals quickly, after replacing those that had burned out. "And that we had spare crystals." She walked over to the control panels and studied the displays intently.<p>

"Yeah, yeah, we're very fortunate..." O'Neill said sarcastically.

Anise ignored him, straightening up. "Our speed is much too great."

"Thrusters are at maximum reverse," Teal'c informed her.

"May I have the controls?"

"Of course." Teal'c inclined his head and got up, allowing Anise to slide into the seat.

She manipulated the various levers and controls for several moments, frowning at the read-outs. "I have slowed our decent as much as possible, and I am going to try to land in that crater. Hold on!"

The cargo ship moved down into a deep crater, slowly decreasing its speed until it came to rest, hovering just above the surface at the bottom of the crater. Everyone made a sigh of relief they had not crashed.

"Well?"

"The asteroid will block transmissions to Stargate Command, but Jalen will relay information to them that we did not crash," Anise said, again frowning at the numbers on her displays. "I know why this ship was approaching the asteroid so rapidly. It also explains the strong energy signature from raw naquadah I am sensing. I should have realised earlier, but the entire core of the asteroid must be composed of naquadah." She entered several more commands.

"So?"

She nodded. "According to my calculations, it makes up about forty-five percent of the total mass."

"Of course it does," Daniel said.

"And, so, what?" O'Neill demanded, getting annoyed. "We need to get out there and set the bomb!"

"This must be a Goa'uld setup - there are no naturally naquadah-rich meteors in this solar system," Anise stated.

"A setup to circumvent the Protected Planets Treaty with the Asgard. It's almost unthinkable." Daniel looked shocked.

O'Neill looked at him. "What?"

"The Goa'uld brought the asteroid here and set it on a collision course to make it look like a natural disaster," Anise concluded.

"And they knew the only way we could stop it would be with a nuke," Daniel added.

"So, what happens if that bomb goes off?" O'Neill said.

"The explosion will be enhanced by the Naquadah...presumably enough to resemble the force of a small nova. This close to the planet, it would be enough to set the atmosphere on fire and boil the oceans," Anise told them.

"If we don't activate the bomb and the asteroid goes past the fail safe point, there's no turning back. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes, of course. You cannot use your nuclear device."

"The presence of the asteroid itself may be sufficient evidence of a treaty violation," Teal'c suddenly said.

"Right. The Asgard can intervene," Daniel looked relieved.

Anise nodded. "I will tell Jalen to send a signal to them." She checked the chronometer on the panel. "We still have just over two hours before the asteroid hits Earth, but that may not be time enough for them to arrive here." She activated the communications. "Jalen, we have determined the asteroid's presence is the result of tampering from the Goa'uld. The core is made of pure naquadah. Contact the Asgard about the treaty violation and ask them to send a ship as fast as possible."

"_Understood. Jalen out._"

"So, now we wait?" Daniel said.

"Yes. We wait," Anise confirmed. "There is little else we can do."

O'Neill groaned. This was what he hated the most. Waiting for other people to do something. 

* * *

><p>"<em>Jalen, here. There has been no reply from the Asgard.<em>"

"Understood. Anise, out." She looked at O'Neill, then Daniel and Teal'c, frowning.

"They must be too busy," Daniel said, looking worried. "They'd surely help us otherwise."

"How long to fail safe?" O'Neill asked.

"Just under one hour," Anise said. "It may be prudent to consider lifting off soon."

"You mean giving up? Letting Earth be flattened?" O'Neill exclaimed, angrily.

"I do not enjoy the prospect, but there is little left we _can_ do."

"Then think of something! You're supposed to be a scientist, aren't you?"

Anise made the long blink she usually used when changing control, and Freya looked at him. "Given the situation, your anger is understandable, but uncalled for. We are doing our best to help you."

O'Neill looked only marginally mollified, but he did not say anything further. 

* * *

><p>"The Goa'uld must have towed the asteroid through hyperspace by ship," Daniel said.<p>

"A mothership," Teal'c added.

The communications system beeped, and O'Neill hit the receive button. "Yes?"

"_This is Jalen. I just received a communication from an Asgard ship. They were not in our Galaxy when they received our signal, but they are coming as fast as possible. They estimate arrival in 40 minutes._"

"That's cutting it a bit close..."

"Too close. It is just under 38 minutes to impact," Anise informed them.

"We passed fail safe."

She nodded. "Yes."

"So, that's _it_? Earth's doomed? I won't accept that!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"Perhaps not..." Anise looked thoughtful. "We do not have an ha'tak, but we may not need one. The effect only has to last a few seconds."

"What only has to last a few seconds? What?"

"We could expand the teltac's hyperspace field to encompass the entire asteroid. This enables us to take it out of normal space for long enough to avoid the collision with the world of the Tau'ri, given it is done at exactly the right time.

Daniel looked at her, somewhat doubtful.

"Err...no offense, but that sounds a bit desperate..." O'Neill said.

"It _is_ somewhat unconventional, but the idea is sound," Anise looked miffed.

"You want to ride an asteroid through Earth?" O'Neill still looked disbelieving.

"To the outside observer, it would disappear on one side and reappear on the other. Beware that there is some danger. In order to expand the field so far beyond its usual envelope, we will have to drain the power of this ship completely. It could cause the engines to explode."

"Explode?"

"Yes, however, only one of us would have to remain aboard this vessel in order to pilot it, the rest should transport to Jalen's teltac, and move to safe distance. I estimate there is a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding, and avoiding a fatal engine overload. An explosion of the engines may not cause a chain reaction in the naquadah in the asteroid, but it is a risk."

O'Neill sighed, thinking it over. "You think this is the best shot we have at stopping this rock?"

"Yes, I believe it is our _only_ chance of doing so."

"Well, that's the plan, then."

Anise nodded and began working rapidly, making calculations. 

* * *

><p>"Well? We're getting awfully close..." O'Neill said, looking out the porthole.<p>

"Almost ready, you should transport up to Jalen's ship now."

"Ah - no. You transport up with the others, I'm piloting this ship the last bit."

"Teal'c has already made the same offer, but I believe it would be best if _I_ pilot this vessel at this point. _Can_ you even fly a teltac?"

"Well, Teal'c's shown me some..."

"As I expected. I will be the one remaining here. It is important we do not engage the hyper drive too soon, or we could reappear inside the planet."

"Oh, for Christ's sake! Just show me!"

Anise looked up. "The offer is well taken, but your heroics is not needed this time. I will do this. Please transport to Jalen's teltac with the others _now_."

"Come on, Jack. She's right." Daniel said, pulling on his arm to get him to follow.

Grumbling, O'Neill followed Daniel and Teal'c.

"Good luck," Daniel called out, as the rings descended around them.

They materialised on Jalen's ship, which jumped to hyperspace the moment they were aboard. They hurried to the fore of the teltac, to see if Anise was successful.

"_Engaging hyper drive...now_!" Anise informed them over the communications system.

The ship entered hyperspace and disappeared, only to reappear on the other side of Earth a few moments later.

"_Anise here. The plan was successful._"

"Understood. Congratulations," Jalen said, sounding relieved. "I will arrive to pick you up in a few minutes."

O'Neill smiled, also looking very relieved. He then noticed a signal beeping on the console. "What is that?"

"An Asgard ship has arrived and is hailing us." Jalen pressed the button, and Thor appeared on the viewscreen.

"Hey, Thor, old buddy!" O'Neill smiled at him. "Thanks for coming, but you're a little late for the party - we've already solved the problem."

"_So I can see, O'Neill. I apologize for my tardiness, but the war in our home Galaxy is not going well. It pleases me that your planet was not destroyed._"

"Thanks, same here! Now, could you please sue the hell out of those lying snakeheads? They've clearly broken the treaty! That asteroid's full of naquadah!"

"_I have scanned the asteroid, and can confirm its composition. I agree it is likely to be the work of the Goa'uld, and if you so wish we will assemble a commission of inquiry consisting of equal numbers of Asgard and Goa'uld representatives. Your people and your allies, the Tok'ra would be allowed to state your grievances, but the Goa'uld would most likely deny all charges."_

O'Neill looked defeated. "I'd think the mere _presence_ of that thing in our solar system was enough!"

"_Regrettably not, O'Neill. However, we will contact the Goa'uld and inform them we are aware of this event, and that any further subterfuge against the Tau'ri will call for stringent measures from the Asgard._" 

* * *

><p>It was still early in the morning of the fourth day of Sam and MartoufLantash's visit to Khepri's palace, when Korra came into their chambers, smiling excitedly.

"I have received a communication from the Tok'ra, and it is good news!"

Sam and Lantash both looked relieved. "That is good to hear, Korra," Lantash said.

"Earth's okay?" Sam asked.

Korra nodded. "Yes, though the danger was great at one point, but it is safe again now."

He gave them a quick summary of what he had been told about the incident with the asteroid.

"The Goa'uld tried to destroy Earth with a naquadah-filled _asteroid_?" Sam shook her head, disbelieving. "Any idea which Goa'uld?"

Korra shook his head. "No, but the Tok'ra are currently trying to determine this - and also how none of our operatives learned of it beforehand. It cannot be one of the usual Goa'uld, but there has been much turmoil in the ranks of the System Lords, and the power is shifting. The Tok'ra net of operatives is also very thin right now, with many killed and more on the run. The Council is working to rearrange our undercover agents, but it takes time for an operative to be trusted by any Goa'uld who's court they insinuate themselves at. It may be a long time before our network is as reliable as it has been in the past." He looked unhappy.

"We should leave for 'the Land of the Light'. I realise the gate at the SGC may be kept fairly active for the next several days, with all those returning from the alpha site, but we should be able to contact them soon, at least."

"You do not have to go there. I got information that a number of smaller outposts and bases have been built, though it has been decided to keep them small so as to minimize the loss from any future attacks. I have the coordinates for Malek's base, so you can go there if you want."

"That sounds good." Lantash nodded. "Thank you."

Sam smiled, relieved. They were going home very soon! 

* * *

><p>They had just eaten lunch and then Lantash had taken an official - and very polite - goodbye of the Goa'uld, Khepri, so as to avoid any future problems for Korra. Khepri was still none the wiser and merely happy to see Lantash leave without any attempts to try to ingratiate himself and gain a position.<p>

Khepri's Jaffa had followed them - and the small group of servants they had bought before coming there - to the Stargate, and Lantash had entered the address of a random world. There he had told the surprised and very grateful slaves that they were free, and that he would let them go wherever they wanted.

Finally, the last of them had been sent through the Stargate - either to their homeworld, if the name they gave was for a planet Lantash knew the address to - or to another, safe world.

Lantash walked over to Sam and put his arms around her, giving her a long, loving kiss before he gave control to Martouf, who had not been able to come fore during the time they had pretended to be a Goa'uld. He quickly kissed Sam again.

"Ready to go to Malek's base?"

Sam nodded. "Very ready."

She smiled and leaned against him while he entered the address. The wormhole flared to life and they walked through - hand in hand. They were finally going home. Together.

THE END.


End file.
